/0, 2.3.13 

3RARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,     N.    J. 

Presented  by 

£he  CA\>\Vnor. 


BV  2095  .T8  1912  c.l 

Trull,  George  H.  b.  1873. 

Five  missionary  minutes 

FIVE  MISSIONARY  MINUTES 


FIVE    MISSIONARY 
MINUTES 


Brief  Missionary  Material 
itform  Use  in  the  Sunday  £ 
for  52  Sundays  in  the  Year 


for  Platform  Use  in  the  Sunday  School 

,.     _ „  or  rwet 


(       OCT  20  192: 


GEORGE   H.  TRULL 

Author  of  "  Missionary  Methods  for  Sunday  School  Workers." 

Editor  of  "  Missionary  Studies  for  the  Sunday  School," 

First,  Second,  and  Third  Series 


FIRST  SERIES 


NEW  YORK 

Missionary  Education  Movement  of  the 

United  States  and  Canada 


Copyright,  1918, 

BY 

Missionary  Education  Movement  op  tub 
United  States  and  Canada 


'What  are  churches  for  but  to  make  mis- 
sionaries? What  is  education  for  but  to 
train  them?  What  is  commerce  for  but 
to  carry  them?  What  is  money  for  but 
to  send  them?  What  is  life  itself  for  but 
to  fulfil  the  purpose  of  missions,  the  en- 
throning of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  hearts  of 
men? 

Br.  A.  H.  Strong. 


CONTENTS 


Preface 


PAGE 

.     xi 


PART  I 
INTRODUCTORY 
Chapter     I.    Missionary  Education  Evert  Sunday 
Chapter   II.    Missions  in  the  Worship  op  the  Sunday 

School    .... 
Chapter  III.    Personal  Service     . 
Chapter  IV.     Missionary  Miscellany    . 
Chapter   V.    Special  Days  and  Occasions 
Chapter  VI.    How  to  Use  the  Material 


3 

6 

8 

14 
14 


PART  II 
MATERIAL  FOR  FIFTY-TWO   SUNDAYS 

Arrangement  of  the  Material 22 

Presentation  of  the  Material 25 

FIRST  QUARTER 

1.  Scripture  Introduction.  Genesis  i.  1;  John  iii.  16— 
The  Verses  that  Led  to  Neesima's  (Nee' -si-ma)  Con- 
version (Japan) 25 

2.  Field  Item.  A  Dramatic  Close  to  a  Prayer  Meeting 
(Home  Missions) 27 

3.  Prayer  Introduction.  Repeating  and  Praying  the 
Lord's  Prayer  (Porto  Rico) 28 

4.  Scripture  Introduction.  Psalm  xci— Facing  Death 
Without  Flinching  (China) 29 

5.  Hymn  Introduction.  All  Hail  the  Power  of  Jesus' 
Name  (Africa) 30 

6.  Field  Item.     Treating  Dyspepsia  in  Korea   ...     30 

7.  Scripture  Introduction.  Matthew  xxviii.  18-20— A 
Command  and  a  Promise  (Africa) 31 

vii 


viii  Contents 

PAGE 

8.  Field  Item.  An  Indian  Defends  the  Bible  (Home 
Missions 33 

9.  Field  Item.  How  an  African  Witch  Doctor  was  Put 
out  of  Business 34 

10.  Prayer  Introduction.  The  Lord's  Prayer  Amended 
(General) 35 

11.  Recruiting  for  Service  by  a  Hymn  Introduction. 
Speed  Away,  Speed  Away  on  Your  Mission  of  Light    .     36 

12.  Book  Announcement.  Foreign  Mission  Volume,  The 
Bays  of  June 38 

13.  Field  Letter  (Alaska).  Typical  Letter  from  a  Present- 
day  Home  Missionary 40 

SECOND  QUARTER 

14.  Field  Item.  The  Cooking  Stove  in  Davy's  Head 
(Home  Missions) 43 

15.  Giving,  First  Sunday.  How  the  Native  Christians 
Give.     Illustrations  from  Africa,  Alaska,  and  China     .    44 

16.  Giving,  Second  Sunday.  How  the  Native  Christians 
Give.  Illustrations  from  India,  Laos,  Southern  Moun- 
taineers in  North  America,  and  from  Korea  .        .         .47 

17.  Giving,  Third  Sunday.  Why  I  Should  Give  to  Mis- 
sions— Seven  Word  Pictures 52 

18.  Giving,  Fourth  Sunday.  Kingdom  Day — Subscrip- 
tion Pledges  to  Missions 54 

19.  Recruiting  for  Service  by  a  Field  Item.  A  Gift  of 
Days  (Korea) 56 

20.  Recruiting  for  Service  by  a  Field  Item.  A  Boy  Fol- 
lows His  Dollar  to  the  Mission  Field  (India)  .  .     57 

21 .  Field  Item.  The  Romantic  Story  of  the  First  Foreign 
Missionaries  of  the  Korean  Church         .        .        .        .59 

22.  Book  Announcement.    Home  Mission  Volume,  Down 

to  the  Sea  .........     61 

23.  Field  Letter  (China).  Typical  Letter  from  a  Present- 
day  Foreign  Missionary 62 

24.  Hymn  Introduction  and  Scripture.  Onward,  Christian 
Soldiers— Revelation  vii.  9-17 65 

25.  Temperance  Item.  Where  Liquor  is  Currency  and 
Children  are  Pawned  for  Drink  (Africa)        .         .        .     66 

26.  Field  Item.  An  Immigrant's  Life  Story  (Home 
Missions) 67 


Contents  ix 

THIRD   QUARTER  pagb 

27  Scripture  Introduction.  Isaiah  liii.  3-7;  John  iii.  14-18 
—Hearing  the  Crucifixion  Story  for  the  First  Time 
(Home  Missions) 69 

28.  Recruiting  for  Service  by  Suggesting  Definite  Activity. 
Utilizing  Waste  Material  (China,  India,  Korea)     .        .     70 

29.  Field  Item.     Bible  Study  under  Difficulties  (Brazil)  .     73 

30.  Scripture  Introduction  and  Prayer.  Numbers  xxxii. 
23;  Proverbs  xxviii.  13— The  Influence  of  a  Stolen  Bible 
(India) 73 

31.  Hymn  Introduction.  Throw  Out  the  Life  Line  (Home 
Missions) ?5 

32.  Field  Letter,  Canada.  Typical  Letter  from  a  Mis- 
sionary Magazine 76 

33.  Report  on  Missionary  Investments.  The  Boy  Who 
Wanted  to  Know  about  the  Returns      .        .        .        .79 

34.  Scripture  Introduction  and  Hymn.  Psalm  xxxiv. 
4-7 ;  Psalm  cxxiv— Psalms  of  the  Besieged  at  Peking. 
Hymn,  Peace,  Perfect  Peace  (China)      .        .        .        .80 

35.  Prayer  Introduction.  "  Kedo  hapsata,"  Let  Us  Pray 
(Korea) 81 

36.  Book  Announcement  Home  and  Foreign  Mission 
Volume,  Adventures  with  Four  Footed  Folk  .        .     82 

37.  Field  Item.    An  Appeal  that   Brought  the  Church 

in  Honan  to  Independence  (Korea)  .        •        .83 

38.  Temperance  Item.  Indians  Whom  Fire  Water  Could 
Not  Tempt 84 

39.  Field  Item.  A  Laos  Evangelist  Tears  His  Bible  in 
Pieces 85 


FOURTH  QUARTER 

40.  Field  Item.    Idolatry  Transplanted  in  North  America    87 

41.  Scripture  Introduction.    Matthew  xiv.  13-21— Feeding 
the  Hungry  (India) 88 

42.  Hymn  Introduction  From  Greenland's  Icy  Mountains    89 

43.  Prayer  Introduction.    A  Prayer  for  David  Livingstone 
(Africa) 90 

44.  Book  Announcement     Home  Mission  Volume,  An 
American  Bride  in  Porto  Rico M 


X  Contents 

PAGE 

45.  Recruiting  for  Service  by  a  Scripture  Introduction. 
John  iv.  35 ;  Matthew  ix.  38 ;  Mark  xvi.  15— Three 
Statements  of  Jesus  Regarding  Missions  (General)         .     92 

46.  Field  Letters.     Typical  Ones  from  Great  Missionaries     94 

47.  Field  Item.  Grit  Wins  an  Education  (Negro,  Home 
Missions) 99 

48.  Temperance  Item.  A  South  African  Chief  Advocates 
Temperance 102 

49.  Prayer  Introduction.  Talking  with  God  (Syria)  .  104 

50.  Scripture  Introduction.  1  Kings  xviii.  25-46 — An 
Ancient  and  a  Modern  Drought  Broken  (China)     .       .  104 

51.  Field  Item.  A  Navajo  (Na'-va-ho)  Rite  Between  Sun- 
set and  Dawn  (Home  Missions)         ....  106 

52.  Hymn  Introduction.   How  Firm  a  Foundation  (China)  108 


PART  III 
MATERIAL  FOR  SPECIAL  DAYS 

Sunday  Nearest  New  Year.      The  Korean  Way  of 

Turning  over  a  New  Leaf  on  New  Year  .        .  109 

Easter  Sunday.  Suwartha's  First  Easter  Day  .  .  109 
Children's  Day.  Erecting  the  Family  Altar  .  .112 
Dominion  Day  (July  First)  or  Independence  Day  (July 

Fourth.)  The  Boy  Who  Honored  the  Flag  .  .  .113 
World's  Temperance  Sunday.     Bishop  Whipple  and 

the  Indian's  Fire- Water 113 

Peace  Sunday.    Swords  Become  Plowshares  and  Spears 

Pruning  Hooks 114 

Sunday  Nearest  Thanksgiving.      Thanksgiving  Day 

in  Central  Africa 115 

Sunday  Nearest  Christmas. 

Christmas  an  Unknown  Day  to  a  Missouri  Settler      .116 

Santa  Claus  in  Korea 117 

Index .119 


PREFACE 

Sufficient  missionary  material  has  been  collected  in 
this  volume  for  fifty-two  Sundays  in  the  year.  It  is 
arranged  for  use  in  the  Sunday-school  from  the  desk, 
either  directly  in  connection  with  Scripture,  prayer, 
and  hymns,  or  otherwise  during  the  opening  or  closing 
periods.  It  has  been  prepared  for  what  is  often  termed 
the  "  Main  School,"  that  is,  for  grades  above  the  Pri- 
mary. Much  of  it  can  be  adapted,  however,  to  the 
needs  of  any  particular  grade. 

All  of  the  items  are  brief,  requiring  not  more  than 
three  to  five  minutes  a  Sunday  for  presentation.  Unity 
of  theme  for  the  entire  year  has  not  been  attempted. 

It  is  not  desirable  in  a  single  year  to  use  a  greater 
variety  of  topics  than  is  here  presented.  It  is  hoped 
that  a  later  volume  will  give,  in  addition  to  some  of 
the  features  of  the  present  one,  such  additional  topics 
as  Map  Drills,  Stories,  Impersonations,  and  similar 
material. 

The  subject-matter  in  this  volume  is  arranged  for 
use  in  schools  that  have  either  the  Uniform  or  Graded 
Sunday  School  Lessons. 

George  H.  Trull. 

New  York,  March  25,  1912. 


FIVE  MISSIONARY  MINUTES 

Part   I 

INTRODUCTORY 

CHAPTER  I 

MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  EVERY  SUNDAY 

Missionary  Education  Essential 

One  of  the  leading  aims  of  the  Sunday-school  is  to 
develop  Christian  character.  Missionary  instruction  is 
an  essential  part  of  such  training,  and  must  therefore 
be  provided  in  such  ways  as  the  needs  of  the  local 
school  demand.  Because  missions  are  so  intimately 
and  vitally  related  to  Bible  study,  prayer,  singing,  giv- 
ing, personal  service,  temperance,  and  other  subjects 
dealt  with  in  the  Sunday-school,  the  topic  can  be  in- 
troduced in  a  natural  and  normal  way  practically  every 
week,  as  an  integral  part  of  the  session.  It  should 
never  be  "tacked  on"  or  "lugged  in;"  its  place  is 
fundamental. 

Missions  Essentially  Unique 

Missionary  instruction  cannot  be  regarded  in  exactly 
the  same  way  as  are  some  other  subjects  in  the  cur- 
riculum, such  as  temperance  teaching,  Bible  geography, 
Bible  history,  Church  history,  instruction  in  Church 
doctrine  and  polity.  These  subjects,  important  and 
necessary,  do  not,  however,  suggest  the  spirit  in  which, 
or  the  standpoint  from  which,  every  lesson  should  be 
taught.  Missions  is  really  the  central  theme  of  the 
Bible,  so  that  whatever  part  of  it  is  studied,  whether 

1 


2  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

historical,  poetical,  prophetical,  or  doctrinal,  it  should 
be  approached  in  the  spirit  of  one  who  desires  spiritual 
truth  for  the  purpose  of  fitting  him  to  find  his  place 
and  to  do  his  duty  in  the  expanding  kingdom  of  God. 
For  this  reason  we  are  not  only  warranted,  but  com- 
pelled, to  plan  for  missionary  education  for  the  entire 
year. 

Missions  Must  be  Introduced  Normally 

Missions  every  Sunday  does  not  mean  the  revolu- 
tionizing and  complete  overturning  of  the  Sunday- 
school  session,  but  rather  the  introduction  of  the  mis- 
sionary idea  into  the  regular  opening  or  closing  period 
of  worship  in  a  normal  way.  The  purpose  is  not  to 
show  how  ingeniously  the  missionary  idea  can  be 
brought  forward,  but  how  naturally  it  is  related  to  the 
development  of  spiritual  life,  and  how  aptly  it  fits  into 
the  regular  session. 

Five-Minutes-a-Sunday  Method 

Owing  to  the  brevity  of  time  of  the  Sunday-school 
session,  and  the  lack  of  facilities  for  more  intensive 
and  effective  work,  the  plan  of  missionary  instruction 
presented  in  this  volume  is  the  only  one  that  is  feasible 
in  a  very  large  number  of  Sunday-schools.  It  is  hoped, 
however,  that  the  Sunday-school  that  uses  this  "  five- 
minutes-a-Sunday  method  "  for  a  year  or  more,  will  be 
led  in  due  time  to  undertake  in  certain  classes  or 
departments,  at  least,  more  thorough  mission  study. 

Its  Advantages 

Some  very  distinct  advantages  of  the  "  fire-minutes- 
a-Sunday  method  "  are  apparent. 

1.  It  is  simple  but  effective. 

2.  It  does  not  require  extensive  preparation. 

3.  The  items  are  very  brief. 

4.  There  is  great  variety  of  material. 

5.  There  is  much  variety  of  presentation. 

6.  It  produces  definite  missionary  impression  through 

consecutive  presentation  of  missionary  facts. 

7.  It  will  also  help  to  remove  prejudice  to  mission- 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  3 

ary  instruction  in  the  Sunday-school;  for  it 
proves  not  only  how  interesting  missions  are, 
but  how  intimately  they  are  related  to  the 
Christian  life. 

The  Missionary  Five  Minutes  a  Variable  Period 
in  the  Session 

Emphasis  should  be  laid  upon  the  fact  that  there 
should  not  be  a  special  and  set  five-minute  period  for 
the  presentation  of  missionary  material,  always  at  the 
same  hour,  say  at  9.35  a.m.,  or  10.40  a.m.,  or  3.15  p.m. 
every  Sunday.  This  will  defeat  the  very  aim  to  make 
missionary  education  normal.  By  the  Five  Missionary 
Minutes  we  mean  rather  a  brief  period  allotted  from 
week  to  week  at  different  times  for  the  introduction  of 
the  missionary  idea.  Sometimes  this  may  be  in  the 
opening  period  of  worship,  sometimes  in  the  closing. 
The  five  minutes  or  less  will  be  utilized  whenever  the 
material  in  hand  can  be  most  effectively  presented. 


CHAPTER  II 

MISSIONS  IN  THE  WORSHIP  OF  THE 
SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

The  worship  of  the  Sunday-school  ordinarily  in- 
cludes the  singing  of  hymns,  prayer,  the  reading  of 
Scripture,  and  the  presentation  of  offerings.  The  aim 
of  this  book  is  to  introduce  through  these  features  the 
missionary  idea  in  a  natural  way. 

Missionary  Introductions  to  Hymns  and  Mission- 
ary Hymns 

In  addition  to  the  specific  missionary  hymns  to  be 
found  in  most  hymnals,  many  other  hymns  have  a  broad 
missionary  significance  because  of  their  relation  to 
certain  events  in  Church  or  mission  history.  To  call 
attention  to  these  incidents  when  announcing  the  hymn 
will  help  the  pupils  to  enter  into  the  situation,  and, 


4  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

therefore,  to  appreciate  its  missionary  bearing.  This  is 
what  is  meant  by  a  missionary  "  hymn  introduction." 
Who  can  fail  ever  afterward  to  associate  the  stories 
connected  with  "  All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name," 
"  Onward,  Christian  soldiers,"  and  "  How  firm  a 
foundation,"  related  on  pages  30,  65,  and  109,  when 
once  they  have  been  told? 

Missionary  Introductions  to  Prayer 

The  Church  as  a  whole  and  its  individual  members 
in  particular  need  to  give  much  larger  place  to  inter- 
cessory prayer.  Training  in  this  form  of  prayer  should 
be  given  in  the  Sunday-school.  The  sphere  of  much 
prayer  now  offered  in  the  average  Sunday-school  is  too 
limited.  Blessings  are  asked  upon  the  local  school  and 
the  work  of  the  day,  but  the  systematic  presentation  of 
great  world  needs  in  the  public  prayer  is  not  con- 
templated. 

To  engage  in  intelligent  intercessory  prayer  for  mis- 
sions one  must  enlarge  his  missionary  knowledge,  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  an  acquaintance  with  the  facts, 
needs,  and  conditions  will  stimulate  intercessory  prayer 
and,  at  the  same  time,  the  devotional  life. 

In  the  Prayer  Introductions  that  follow  in  Part  II, 
some  brief  missionary  incidents  are  so  given  as  to  lead 
most  naturally  and  directly  to  prayer.  While  due  re- 
gard should  be  given  to  the  development  of  systematic 
prayer  for  great  world  topics,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  to  pray  for  China,  for  example,  in  the  abstract 
will  never  be  as  vital  as  to  pray  for  some  particular 
individual  in  China,  or  some  form  of  work  presented 
in  a  concrete  incident.  The  value  of  Prayer  Introduc- 
tions lies,  therefore,  in  their  concreteness,  so  that 
definite  prayer  follows  logically. 

The  use  of  these  missionary  Introductions  to  Prayer 
in  Part  II  is  not  meant  to  take  the  place  of  the  de- 
nominational or  interdenominational  prayer  cycles 
which  provide  a  plan  for  both  systematic  and  definite 
prayer.  Denominational  cycles  can  be  obtained  from 
the  various  Mission  Boards,  and  interdenominational 
prayer  cycles,  at  ten  cents  each,  from  the  Missionary 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  5 

Education  Movement,  156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 
City,  and  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement,  125  East 
27th  Street,  New  York  City.  In  the  Appendix  to  the 
Kev.  Andrew  Murray's  Ministry  of  Intercession  will  be 
found  an  excellent  cycle  entitled  "  Pray  without  Ceas- 
ing." It  can  be  had  in  leaflet  form  from  the  Fleming 
H.  Eevell  Co.,  New  York,  at  3  cents  a  copy,  35  cents  a 
dozen. 

Missionary  Introductions  to  Scripture  Lessons 

In  the  Sunday-schools  that  use  the  Uniform  Les- 
sons the  Scripture  passage  in  the  worship  of  the  school 
is  usually  the  Uniform  Lesson  for  the  day,  or  some 
parallel  passage  relating  to  it,  or  an  entirely  different 
passage  selected  by  the  superintendent.  With  the  in- 
creasing use  of  Graded  Lessons  many  of  the  schools 
are  adopting  the  las't-mentioned  course.  Either  con- 
secutive Scripture  is  read  from  week  to  week,  or  a 
selected  passage  is  chosen  for  the  day. 

The  use  of  the  selected  passage  not  only  gives  variety, 
but  the  superintendent  can  determine  the  particular 
message  he  desires  to  enforce  by  means  of  the  Scripture 
lessons.  As  in  the  case  of  the  hymns,  many  passages 
of  Scripture  not  distinctly  missionary  in  content  have 
a  missionary  significance  because  of  their  connection 
with  missionary  events  or  incidents.  It  is  just  here 
that  the  Missionary  Introductions  to  Scripture  passages 
presented  in  this  book  furnish  to  the  superintendent 
selected  material  which  he  can  use  to  convey  a  mis- 
sionary impression. 

Missionary  Education  Through  Giving 

Kingdom  Day  is  a  title  which  has  been  applied  to 
that  Sunday  in  the  year  when  the  Sunday-school  takes 
its  annual  pledges  for  missionary  offerings  on  the 
weekly  or  monthly  basis.  The  observance  of  such  a  day 
in  every  Sunday-school  is  strongly  urged.  Whether 
such  a  day  is  observed  or  not,  surely  the  school  should 
be  given  constant  opportunity  to  contribute  to  mis- 
sionary and  other  benevolent  causes.     The  incidents  on 


6  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

Giving  contained  in  Part  II  have  all  been  grouped  to- 
gether with  a  view  to  leading  up  through  successive 
Sundays  to  Kingdom  Day.  The  interest  thus  aroused 
should  lead  to  some  definite  consecration  of  money  by 
members  of  the  school.  Care  must  be  exercised  not  to 
arouse  interest  without  providing  and  suggesting 
proper  and  adequate  expression. 

Schools  that  have  not  adopted  systematic  giving  with 
the  use  of  individual  pledges  should  correspond  with 
their  denominational  Mission  Board  regarding  plans 
and  methods. 

In  schools  where  Kingdom  Day  and  individual  pledge 
cards  are  not  in  use,  the  items  under  Giving  may  be 
reported  as  incentives  to  the  school  to  give  generously 
to  missions  by  whatever  financial  plan  the  offerings 
are  received. 

It  is  important  that  definite  reports  should  be  made 
from  time  to  time  to  the  school  regarding  the  disburse- 
ment of  the  money.  If  your  school  is  contributing  to 
some  specific  work  at  home  or  abroad,  you  should  re- 
ceive from  your  Mission  Board  letters  three  or  four 
times  a  year  telling  about  the  work.  If  your  school 
is  contributing  to  the  general  work  of  your  Board,  some 
brief  report  should  be  made  occasionally,  showing  the 
use  of  the  money  that  has  been  contributed.  How  to 
introduce  such  a  report  is  told  on  page  79. 


CHAPTER  HI 
PERSONAL  SERVICE 

Church  Membership  Must  be  Trained  for  Service 

The  development  of  Christian  character  demands 
that  the  individual  should  engage  in  some  form  of  per- 
sonal Christian  service.  To  express  oneself  entirely 
by  proxy  tends  to  dwarf  spiritual  growth  and  to  atrophy 
spiritual  energies.  Many  Christians,  instead  of  en- 
gaging in  personal  Christian  work  and  testimony,  have 
come  to  regard  these  as  the  particular  work  of  evangel- 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  7 

ists  or  pastors.  The  consequence  is  that  we  have  to- 
day in  America  largely  an  untrained  Church.  If  the 
Church  is  to  fulfil  its  true  mission,  it  cannot  content 
itself  with  training  a  few  individuals  here  and  there 
for  leadership  and  activity.  It  must  address  itself  to 
the  larger  task  of  training  its  entire  membership  for 
effective  service. 

Missionary  Education  Directs  into  Service 

One  of  the  chief  values,  therefore,  of  missionary  edu- 
cation in  the  Sunday-school  is  that  it  directs  the 
energies  of  the  young  people  into  definite  forms  of 
Christian  service, — to  visit  the  sick,  to  carry  flowers 
to  the  shut-ins,  to  bring  happiness  into  the  life  of 
the  desolate  and  afflicted,  to  secure  members  for  the 
Sunday-school  and  church,  and  to  send  boxes  of  cloth- 
ing, toys,  and  other  articles  to  the  mission  field.  These 
are  a  few  of  the  many  forms  of  Christian  service  which 
may  be  engaged  in. 

Utilization  of  Waste  Material 

One  of  the  most  practical  forms  of  useful  missionary 
activity  is  the  sending  to  the  mission  fields  such  waste 
material  as  Primary  picture  cards,  the  quarterly  pic- 
ture rolls,  illustrated  story  papers  and  magazines, 
scrap-books,  picture  post-cards,  all  of  which  should  be 
in  good  condition  and  not  broken  or  soiled.  The 
World's  Sunday  School  Association  has  established  at 
its  office,  1  Madison  Avenue,  New  York  City,  the  Depart- 
ment for  Utilizing  Surplus  Material,  and  by  writing  to  its 
Superintendent  at  the  address  just  given,  you  will 
be  put  in  touch  at  once  with  some  missionary  on  the 
field  at  home  or  abroad  to  whom  you  can  send  your 
waste  material.  Be  sure  to  mention  your  denomination 
in  full. 

Reports   of   Personal    Service   Stimulate    Activity 
and  Worship 

These  various  activities  in  which  pupils  may  engage 
will  be  suggested  either  by  the  teachers  to  their  classes, 


8  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

or  by  the  superintendent  to  the  school  as  a  whole,  or 
by  both.  To  express  an  appeal  for  personal  service,  to 
state  a  method  of  work,  or  to  give  a  report  of  some- 
thing done  may  produce  responses  from  the  pupils, 
when  mention  of  these  things  is  made,  which  will  con- 
stitute a  very  high  type  of  religious  worship.  This 
justifies  the  mention  of  these  things  in  the  worship 
periods  of  the  Sunday-school  session. 

In  addition  to  this  feature  of  worship  in  the  Sun- 
day-school session,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
actual  engaging  in  personal  service  is  also  an  act  of 
worship.  There  are  a  few  specific  suggestions  in  this 
connection  under  the  caption  "  Recruiting  for  Service," 
in  Part  II,  such  as  items  for  the  eleventh,  nineteenth, 
twentieth,  twenty-eighth,  and  forty-fifth  Sundays,  and 
the  leader  will  doubtless  see  on  other  Sundays  oppor- 
tunities for  similar  emphasis. 


CHAPTER  IV 

MISSIONARY  MISCELLANY 

In  addition  to  the  specific  items  mentioned  in  Chap- 
ter II  under  "  Missions  in  the  Worship  of  the  Sunday- 
school,"  the  opening  and  closing  periods  afford  oppor- 
tunity for  presenting  large  variety  of  other  missionary 
material,  such  as  Field  Items,  Book  and  Magazine  An- 
nouncements, Field  Letters. 

Field  Items 

One  day  Bishop  Selwyn  of  New  Zealand,  while  vis- 
iting Judge  Patteson  in  England,  "  said,  half  in  play- 
fulness and  half  in  earnest :  '  Lady  Patteson,  will  you 
give  me  Coley? '  She  started,  but  did  not  say  no;  and 
when,  independently  of  this,  her  son  told  her  that  it 
was  his  greatest  desire  to  go  with  the  bishop,  she  re- 
plied that  if  he  kept  that  wish  when  he  grew  up  he 
should  have  her  blessing  and  consent."  Years  after- 
ward Coleridge  Patteson  joined  Bishop  Selwyn  in  his 
labors  in  the  South  Sea  Islands. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  9 

In  the  Sunday-school  composed  largely  of  young 
people  of  impressionable  age  one  never  knows  what 
may  come  from  the  sowing  of  missionary  seed.  The 
mere  dropping  of  a  remark,  or  telling  of  a  brief  story 
from  the  mission  field  may  result  in  missionary  deci- 
sions. This  justifies  the  taking  of  three  to  five  min- 
utes occasionally  for  the  presentation  of  striking  field 
items. 

Book  and  Magazine  Announcements 

In  a  year's  time  considerable  missionary  knowledge 
will  be  gained  by  any  Sunday-school  that  follows  the 
"  five-minutes-a-Sunday  method  "  of  instruction.  It  is 
very  necessary,  however,  to  supplement  this  method  and 
any  class  study  that  may  be  done,  by  stimulating 
the  reading  of  missionary  literature  outside  the  Sun- 
day-school session.  There  are  scores  of  readable 
missionary  books  appearing  every  year  for  all 
ages,  and  the  Missionary  Committee  of  the  school 
should  keep  in  touch  with  these  books  and  recommend 
from  time  to  time  their  reading.  Some  of  them  should 
be  purchased  and  put  in  the  Sunday-school  library.  If 
this  is  not  feasible,  then  see  if  the  public  library  will 
not  secure  them.  The  librarians  of  many  such  li- 
braries are  glad  to  provide  any  books  that  the  Sunday- 
school  workers  of  the  community  desire.  This  sug- 
gests the  close  cooperation  that  should  exist  among  the 
Missionary  Committees  of  all  the  Sunday-schools  of  a 
community  or  neighborhood. 

How  to  Get  Books  Read 

In  order  to  get  books  read,  interest  must  be  aroused 
in  them.*  This  often  can  be  done  in  a  progressive 
way.  For  example,  many  people  who  would  not  at  the 
outset  read  Underwood's  The  Call  of  Korea,  would  be 
attracted  to  it  after  reading  Mrs.  Baird's  Daybreak 
in  Korea.  Gale's  Korean  Sketches,  though  a  delight- 
ful book,  is  a  title  which  might  not  appeal  at  first  to 
some  people  who  would  read  The   Vanguard,  by  the 

*  See  the  author's  Missionary  Methods  for  Sunday  School 
Workers,  chapter  XII. 


10  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

same  author,  which  is  semi-fiction.  The  Missionary 
Committee  may  definitely  plan,  sometime,  to  arouse  in- 
terest in  missionary  volumes  by  beginning  with  a  book 
of  fiction  which  deals  with  some  phase  of  missionary 
work,  and  thus  lead  gradually  on  to  the  distinctly  mis- 
sionary volume. 

This  principle  applies  also  to  magazine  articles.  In 
fact,  many  people  who  will  not  read  a  book  will  read  a 
magazine.  By  recommending  books  after  the  manner 
illustrated  on  the  twelfth,  twenty-second,  thirty-sixth, 
and  forty-fourth  Sundays,  it  will  be  possible  not  only 
to  get  these  books  read,  but  the  incident  announcing 
them  will  furnish  valuable  missionary  information  even 
in  case  the  book  is  not  read.  Care  must  be  taken  to 
recommend  books  that  will  appeal  to  the  natural  inter- 
ests of  particular  grades.  In  general,  stories  of  ad- 
venture, daring,  travel,  and  biography  will  appeal  to 
most  young  people.  Keep  abreast  of  the  latest  mis- 
sionary literature,  and  recommend  also  some  of  the 
older  classics.  For  lists  of  good  missionary  books, 
write  to  your  own  denominational  Mission  Board,  or  to 
the  Missionary  Education  Movement,  156  Fifth  Ave- 
nue, New  York  City,  mentioning  your  denomination 
when  you  write. 

Field  Letters 

The  particular  value  of  a  missionary  letter  in  a 
Sunday-school  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  comes  as  a  per- 
sonal message  from  workers  in  the  mission  field.  It  is 
the  next  best  thing  to  the  presence  of  the  missionary 
himself.  Different  types  of  missionary  letters  are  avail- 
able.    For  example : 

1.  Letters  from  the  missionary  or  missionaries  at 
home  and  abroad  to  whose  support  the  school  con- 
tributes. 

2.  Letters  received  by  individual  members  of  the 
church  or  Sunday-school  from  friends  on  the  field, 
some  of  whom  may  have  been  former  members  of  the 
local  church  or  school. 

3.  Letters  in  the  missionary  magazines  and  religious 
press. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  11 

4.  Selected  letters  in  the  biographies  of  great  mis- 
sionaries, such  as  those  of  David  Livingstone,  John 
Kenneth  Mackenzie,  James  Gilmour  of  Mongolia, 
George  Grenfell  of  the  Kongo,  Bishop  Hannington,  and 
others. 

5.  Letters  from  natives  on  the  mission  field. 

Use  Extracts,  Not  Entire  Letters 

Seldom,  if  ever,  should  an  entire  missionary  letter 
be  read  to  the  Sunday-school,  unless  it  is  very  brief. 
Time  does  not  permit  a  long  letter,  and  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  hold  the  attention  throughout  its  reading. 
If  it  is  a  long  letter,  and  even  if  it  is  intensely  inter- 
esting all  the  way  through,  it  is  better  to  select  choice 
extracts  from  it  for  public  presentation,  adding  that 
these  are  but  a  few  of  the  good  things  it  contains.  If 
deemed  wise,  it  might  be  added  that  copies  will  be  ready 
for  distribution  at  the  close  of  the  school  on  applica- 
tion to  the  Missionary  Correspondence  Secretary.  It 
is  well  thus  to  whet  the  appetite. 

What  to  Do  with  "  Dull "  Letters 

Letters  which  seem  dull  and  lack  the  narrative  and 
concrete  elements,  should  be  carefully  scanned  for 
the  facts  that  they  contain,  and  instead  of  reading 
paragraphs  from  the  letter  itself,  the  facts  should  be 
clothed  in  another  form,  and  a  point  of  contact  be- 
tween them  and  the  local  Sunday-school  should  be 
found.  Thus  even  a  dull  letter  may  provide  the  basis 
of  a  most  interesting  presentation  of  missionary  in- 
formation. Instead  of  berating  the  missionary,  if  the 
letter  be  dull,  let  the  school  set  itself  to  secure  some 
one  who  can  take  hold  of  even  a  most  ordinary  mis- 
sionary letter,  and  place  its  statement  in  a  new  and 
glowing  setting,  thereby  really  transforming  that  letter 
into  a  message  that  the  school  will  delight  to  hear. 

Present  the  Letter  to  the  School  with  Animation 

Whoever  presents  a  missionary  letter  must  do  it  with 
animation  and  enthusiasm.     If  it  is  read  in  a  singsong, 


12  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

monotonous  tone,  without  any  animation,  even  the 
choicest  letter  may  be  ruined.  Everything  depends 
upon  the  spirit  and  manner  of  presentation. 

Be  Familiar  with  It 

Be  sure  to  be  perfectly  familiar  with  the  letter  be- 
fore attempting  to  read  it  in  public.  Mark  the  parts 
you  are  to  read,  so  that  the  eye  will  readily  catch 
them.  If  the  letter  is  written  by  hand  and  not  by  type- 
writer, be  sure  in  advance  that  it  is  legible  to  you, 
for  if  it  is  read  haltingly  because  of  inability  to  de- 
cipher it,  the  whole  effect  will  be  lost. 

Variety  in  Presentation 

A  variety  of  ways  of  presenting  letters  to  a  Sunday- 
school  is  illustrated  in  Part  II,  and  these  methods  may 
be  applied  to  other  missionary  letters  received  from 
time  to  time.  Just  how  a  particular  letter  will  be 
presented  will  depend  largely  on  its  contents,  and  the 
particular  end  in  view.  The  selection  of  certain  ex- 
tracts and  the  exclusion  of  others  must  be  determined 
by  local  needs  and  conditions,  as  well  as  by  the  factor 
of  interest. 

In  order  that  Sunday-school  workers  may  study  fully 
the  typical  methods  of  presentation,  the  actual  letter 
as  written  by  a  missionary  is  given  in  Part  II  as  well 
as  its  "  adaptation  "  for  local  use. 

Write  to  Your  Missionary 

The  missionary  can  be  helped  to  write  better  letters 
if  he  is  told  the  kind  of  things  the  school  wants  to 
know.  For  instance,  ask  the  missionary  to  send  the 
story  of  what  it  cost  some  Hindu  girl  or  boy  in  the 
mission  school  to  break  caste  and  become  a  Christian, 
to  give  the  details,  so  that  the  picture  may  glow,  or 
ask  for  a  word  picture  of  some  of  the  actual  needs  he 
has  seen  on  his  last  itinerating  trip.  Comment  upon 
some  statements  he  has  made  in  his  last  letter  to  the 
school,  indicating  that  you  have  actually  read  it. 

A  missionary  in  the  Philippines  makes  this  state- 
ment, which  is  apropos: 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  13 

"  If  friends  at  home  would  write  more,  they  would  be  doing  real 
missionary  service.  Letters  from  societies  and  individuals,  whether 
acquainted  or  not,  not  '  missionary  letters,'  but  bright,  newsy  letters, 
telling  what  is  going  on  in  the  church,  about  their  work  and  about 
their  frolics,  would  be  like  a  touch  of  a  friendly  hand  across  the  water, 
and  would  bring  a  ray  of  light  into  what  might  happen  to  be  a  dark 
day.  Most  people  seem  to  think  that  the  missionary  should  do  all  the 
writing  ;  but  we  don't  think  so.'' 

Some  Sunday-schools  complain  about  infrequent  let- 
ters from  the  field,  and  never  think  of  sending  any  re- 
ply whatsoever  to  the  missionary.  Some  missionaries 
have  yet  to  receive  their  first  letter  from  the  Sunday- 
school  or  other  organization  to  whom  they  are  send- 
ing repeated  communications.  If  you  expect  interest- 
ing letters  from  the  field,  you  can  help  to  secure  them 
by  writing  direct  to  the  missionary  and  revealing  that 
you  have  some  personal,  living  interest  in  him. 

Encourage  the  pupils  to  write  personally  to  the  mis- 
sionary. It  will  cheer  his  heart  to  know  that  he  is 
thought  of  at  home  and  that  his  work  is  remembered. 
Of  course,  he  cannot  write  individual  replies  to  all 
such  letters,  and  they  should  not  be  expected,  but  there 
is  hardly  a  missionary  anywhere  who  will  not  gladly 
send  to  the  correspondents  of  any  Sunday-school  or 
church  a  group  letter,  and  this  will  meet  every  ordinary 
demand.  A  personal  interest  can  then  be  established 
between  the  Sunday-school  and  the  missionary,  and 
when  he  is  home  on  furlough,  a  visit  from  him  to  the 
Sunday-school  will  be  eagerly  anticipated  by  both 
parties. 

A  Missionary  Correspondence  Secretary 

Some  member  of  the  Missionary  Committee  of  the 
Sunday-school  should  be  in  charge  of  this  correspond- 
ence with  the  field,  and  may  be  called  Missionary  Cor- 
respondence Secretary.  This  person  should  encourage 
the  members  of  the  school  to  write  to  the  missionary 
and  see  that  the  letters  are  forwarded  when  so  re- 
quested. 

The  letters  given  in  Part  II  are  chosen  simply  as 
typical  letters,  the  contents  of  which  may  with  profit 
be  brought  to  the  attention  of  any  Sunday-school. 


14  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

CHAPTER  V 

SPECIAL  DAYS  AND  OCCASIONS 

Special  Days  and  Occasions  as  Missionary  Points 
of  Contact 

In  the  Sunday-school  year  certain  days  have  become 
recognized  as  occasions  for  special  observance,  such 
as  Easter,  Children's  Day,  Rally  Day,  and  Christmas. 
Sunday-school  publishers  and  Mission  Boards,  at  such 
times,  offer  for  use  in  the  school  appropriate  programs 
and  exercises.  It  is  not  necessary,  therefore,  in  this 
volume  to  present  any  such  complete  services.  There 
have  been  gathered  together,  however,  in  Part  III  a 
number  of  items  and  incidents  from  the  mission  field 
bearing  on  the  New  Year,  Easter,  Children's  Day,  a  na- 
tional day,  such  as  Dominion  Day  for  Canada  and  In- 
dependence Day  for  the  United  States,  Thanksgiving, 
World's  Peace  Sunday,  and  Christmas.  Schools  that 
may  not  observe  all  of  these  special  days  with  a  formal 
program  may  desire  to  use  some  of  the  items  suggested 
in  Part  in. 

Schools  that  observe  Temperance  Sunday  quarterly 
will  find  items  relating  to  the  temperance  problem  on 
the  mission  field  on  the  twenty-fifth,  thirty-eighth,  and 
forty-eighth  Sundays,  and  in  Part  III  an  item  appropri- 
ate for  World's  Temperance  Sunday. 


CHAPTER  VI 
HOW  TO  USE  THE  MATERIAL 

Note. — By  all  means  read  this  chapter  before  using  any  of 
the  material  in  Part  II. 

This  Volume  Much  More  Than  a  Compilation 

Two  persons  told  the  same  story.  In  one  case  the 
audience  laughed  heartily,  in  the  other  case  there  was 
a  tense  and  painful  silence.     The  difference  lay,  not 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  15 

in  the  story  material,  but  in  the  telling  of  it.  The 
following  pages  are,  therefore,  much  more  than  a  com- 
pilation of  missionary  information.  They  show  in 
addition  how  to  present  the  information;  for  on  this 
everything  depends.  Care  has  been  taken  to  select 
material  which  is  fresh  and  interesting.  Like  care 
must  be  taken  by  those  who  present  it  to  make  it 
graphic.  Assignments  of  the  items  in  Parts  II  or  III 
to  those  who  will  present  them  to  the  school  should  be 
made  at  least  one  week  in  advance  to  insure  adequate 
preparation. 

How  to  Secure  Effective  Presentations 

If  really  effective  results  are  to  be  secured,  those 
who  present  any  of  the  items  given  in  this  book  should 
observe  carefully  the  following  suggestions: 

1.  Know  your  story  or  incident.  Do  not  be  satisfied 
with  a  general  idea  of  what  you  are  to  tell;  but  know 
it  minutely,  absolutely.  Tell  it  over  to  yourself  or 
to  a  friend  before  trying  it  on  the  Sunday-school. 
After  you  think  you  have  the  material  in  mind,  write 
it  out,  and  then  compare  it  with  the  original.  Elim- 
inate all  unnecessary  ideas,  and  come  to  the  point  as 
quickly  as  possible.  Be  sure  you  know  what  point 
you  want  to  make,  for  unless  this  is  clear-cut  in  your 
own  mind,  there  is  no  likelihood  of  your  audience 
finding  it  out. 

Says  Mrs.  Sara  Cone  Bryant  in  her  admirable  book, 
How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children:  "One  must  know 
the  story  absolutely;  it  must  have  been  so  assimilated 
that  it  partakes  of  the  nature  of  personal  experience; 
its  essence  must  be  so  clearly  in  mind  that  the  teller 
does  not  have  to  think  of  it  at  all  in  the  act  of  telling, 
but  rather  lets  it  flow  from  his  lips  with  the  uncon- 
scious freedom  of  a  vivid  reminiscence. 

"  Such  knowledge  does  not  mean  memorizing. 
Memorizing  utterly  destroys  the  freedom  of  remi- 
niscence, takes  away  the  spontaneity,  and  substitutes  a 
mastery  of  form  for  a  mastery  of  essence.  It  means, 
rather,  a  perfect  grasp  of  the  gist  of  the  story,  with 
sufficient  familiarity  with  its  form  to  determine  the 


16  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

manner  of  its  telling.  The  easiest  way  to  obtain  this 
mastery  is,  I  think,  to  analyze  the  story  into  its  simplest 
elements  of  plot.  Strip  it  bare  of  style,  description,  in- 
terpolation, and  find  out  simply  what  happened.  Per- 
sonally, I  find  that  I  get  first  an  especially  vivid  concep- 
tion of  the  climax;  this  then  has  to  be  rounded  out  by 
a  clear  perception  of  the  successive  steps  which  lead 
up  to  the  climax.  One  has,  so,  the  framework  of  the 
story.     The  next  process  is  the  filling  in." 

2.  Feel  the  story,  that  is,  catch  its  spirit  from  very 
familiarity  with  it.  You  cannot  make  others  see  and 
feel  its  power  unless  you  do  so  yourself.  You  must  ap- 
preciate it  if  your  audience  is  to  do  so.  If  you  know, 
appreciate,  and  feel  the  story  or  incident,  then  you 
will  just  ache  to  tell  it.  If  you  are  in  this  mood, 
there  will  then  be  no  question  as  to  its  reception  by 
your  hearers.  A  few  suggestions  may,  however,  be  in 
place.  The  quotations  are  taken  from  Mrs.  Bryant's 
book  above  mentioned. 

(1)  Tell  it  simply  and  naturally.  "  Think  of  the 
story  so  absorbingly  and  vividly  that  you  have  no  room 
to  think  of  yourself.  Live  it.  Sink  yourself  in  that 
mood  you  have  summoned  up  and  let  it  carry  you." 
This  is  essential. 

(2)  Tell  it  with  directness.  "  The  incidents  should 
be  told  in  logical  sequence.  Nothing  is  more  dis- 
tressing than  the  cart-before-the-horse  method.  Brev- 
ity, close  logical  sequence,  exclusion  of  foreign  matter, 
unhesitant  speech, — to  use  these  is  to  tell  a  story  di- 
rectly." 

(3)  Tell  it  dramatically.  That  is,  "  not  in  the  man- 
ner of  the  elocutionist,  not  excitably,  not  any  of  the 
things  which  are  incompatible  with  simplicity  and  sin- 
cerity; but  with  a  whole-hearted  throwing  of  one's  self 
into  the  game,  which  identifies  one  in  a  manner  with 
the  character  or  situation  of  the  moment.  It  means 
responsively,  vividly,  without  interposing  a  blank  wall 
of  solid  self  between  the  drama  of  the  tale  and  the 
mind's  eye  of  the  audience.  The  dramatic  quality  of 
story-telling  depends  closely  upon  the  clearness  and 
power  with  which  the  story-teller  visualizes  the  events 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  17 

and  characters  he  describes.  You  must  hold  the  image 
before  the  mind's  eye,  using  your  imagination  to  body 
forth  to  yourself  every  act,  incident,  and  appearance. 
You  must,  indeed,  stand  at  the  window  of  your  con- 
sciousness and  watch  what  happens.  This  is  a  point 
so  vital  that  I  am  tempted  to  put  it  in  ornate  type. 
You  must  see  what  you  say!" 

(4)  Tell  it  with  zest.  It  is  necessary  to  be  interested 
in  your  story  as  you  tell  it.  If  you  do  not  appreciate 
it,  if  it  bores  you,  it  is  certain  that  your  audience  will 
also  be  bored. 

(5)  Tell  it  briefly.  Keep  strictly  to  the  time  limitv 
usually  not  exceeding  five  minutes  for  any  single  item. 
Many  of  them  can  be  given  in  three  minutes,  and  some 
in  two.  Before  you  present  your  item  to  the  school, 
time  yourself  in  advance  by  repeating  it  to  some  mem- 
ber of  your  family.  See  if  this  person  catches  the 
point  you  are  trying  to  make. 

(6)  Speak  distinctly  and  loudly  enough  to  be  heard 
easily  by  every  one  in  the  room,  or  you  will  have  rest- 
lessness and  inattention. 

(7)  Avoid  everything  that  savors  of  "  talking  down  " 
to  the  scholars.  Never  address  a  Sunday-school  as 
"  children,"  "  my  dear  children,"  or  as  "  little  ones." 
Such  phrases  young  people  resent  so  strongly  that  they 
will  not  be  attracted  by  anything  the  speaker  may 
say. 

(8)  Avoid  moralizing.  Above  all,  do  not  moralize  or 
give  a  short  homily.  The  very  purpose  of  the  incident 
will  then  be  defeated,  and  the  scholars  will  vote  mis- 
sions a  bore.  The  audience  will  draw  its  own  moral 
quickly  enough.  There  should  be  reliance  upon  the 
cooperation  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  secure  this,  "  Ex- 
planations and  moralizing,"  says  Mrs.  Bryant,  "  are 
mostly  sheer  clutter." 

No  one  should  be  discouraged  over  the  idea  that  he  is 
unable  to  speak  effectively  in  public.  If  the  sugges- 
tions above  given  are  followed  carefully  and  prayer- 
fully, there  is  no  reason  why  any  one  with  ordinary 
intelligence  may  not  learn  to  speak  before  an  audience 
successfully. 


18  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

Why  the  Term  "  Leader  "  is  Employed 

In  the  suggestions  accompanying  the  items  in  Part 
II,  the  word  "  Leader "  has  been  used  instead  of 
"  Superintendent "  for  the  reason  that  the  Superintend- 
ent should  not  always  present  the  missionary  material. 
He  should  do  so  sometimes,  but  it  is  desirable  to  have 
many  members  of  the  school  take  part  throughout  the 
year. 

Leader's  Suggestions 

The  suggestions  given  for  the  Leader  must  not  be 
carried  out  perfunctorily  or  mechanically,  but  spon- 
taneously. If  he  is  going  to  give  verbatim  the  sug- 
gestions found  in  the  text  he  must  not,  of  course,  have 
the  book  in  his  hand  and  read  them,  nor  should  he  re- 
peat them  in  a  wooden  sort  of  way,  but  he  must  make 
the  ideas  his  own,  and  then  speak  spontaneously.  To 
have  freshness  and  crispness  the  suggestions  should 
appeal  with  the  force  of  originality  to  him,  or  else 
they  will  fall  flat.  Speak  with  fire,  earnestness,  and 
vigor,  and  there  will  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  effect  pro- 
duced. 

Fresh  Missionary  Material 

The  local  missionary  workers  should  be  on  the  out- 
look constantly  for  fresh  news  from  the  mis- 
sion fields  at  home  and  abroad.  This  is  being  pub- 
lished constantly  in  the  missionary  magazines,  Church 
papers,  and  even  in  the  secular  press.  Keep  the  school 
in  touch  with  current  events,  especially  as  these  are 
related  to  the  progress  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Some 
items  as  they  appear  in  print  will  require  rearrange- 
ment and  adaptation  before  presentation  to  the  school, 
if  they  are  to  become  graphic  and  vital.  If  the  items 
are  to  grip  the  pupils,  they  must  have  points  of  con- 
tact with  them.  Study  the  different  ways  of  presenta- 
tion given  in  the  text  in  order  to  see  how  such  points 
of  contact  are  secured. 

An  Example  of  Rearrangement 

An  illustration  is  herewith  given  of  two  ways  of  pre- 
senting the  same  material. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  19 

AN    INTERESTED    STUDENT    IN   THE    PHILIPPINES 

One  bright  young  man  of  twenty  walks  to  Albay  every  Saturday 
afternoon,  a  distance  of  thirteen  miles,  to  study  Bible  lessons  with 
Mr.  Brown,  so  that  he  may  impart  to  others  in  the  ensuing  week 
the  things  he  learns  in  the  class.  Lately  he  has  been  bringing 
others  with  him.  He  complains  that  two  hours  at  a  stretch  is 
not  long  enough  for  him  ;  he  wants  the  whole  afternoon. 

Or  exactly  the  same  information  might  be  given  in 
this  way: 

Leader— \  wonder  how  many  good  walkers  we  have  here  in  our 
school  ? 

Did  any  of  you  walk  as  much  as  a  mile  to  get  here  to-day  ?  Well, 
out  in  the  Philippines  there  is  a  bright  young  fellow  of  twenty,  who 
walks  thirteen  miles  every  Saturday  afternoon— what  for  ?  To  have 
Bible  study  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Brown,  the  missionary  at 
Albay. 

The  newspapers  reported  that  a  New  Jersey  boy  walked  most  of 
the  distance  from  his  home  near  Newark  to  the  Polo  Grounds  in 
New  York  City  to  see  one  of  the  'World  Championship  baseball 
games.  He  did  it  because  he  was  interested.  Now  this  Filipino 
young  man  takes  his  thirteen-mile  walk  because  he  is  interested, 
and  he  does  it  every  week. 

He  has  one  complaint  to  make,  however  ;  not  that  the  walk  is  too 
long,  but  that  the  two-hour  study  period  is  too  short.  He  wants 
the  whole  afternoon. 

I  am  sure  there  is  good  stuff  in  that  young  man,  aren't  you  ?  I 
know  it,  not  only  because  he  is  so  interested  in  Bible  study  for  him- 
self; but  because  what  he  learns  each  week  he  passes  on  to  others. 
Some  of  these  persons  are  getting  interested,  too,  and  have  joined 
him  in  his  walk  to  Albay  to  study  with  Mr.  Brown. 

An  Example  of  Adaptation 

It  will  be  noted  that  some  items  are  capable  of  pres- 
entation to  different  grades  and  must  then  be  adapted 
accordingly.  Others  by  their  very  nature  are  suitable 
only  for  a  single  grade. 

As  an  example  of  adaptation,  the  same  incident  is 
herewith  presented  first  for  the  Senior,  then  for  the 
Junior  Grade. 

Senior  Presentation 

orphans  in  india  contribute  to  home  missions 

In  the  orphanage  at  Ratnagiri,  India,  a  special  collection  was 
taken  for  the  National  Missionary  Society.  The  orphans  wanted 
very  much  to  help  in  this  work  for  their  own  people.  The  boys  had 
money  and  gave  very  liberally.     The  girls   did  not  have  any  money, 


20  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

but  they  were  very  anxious  to  give.  It  was  suggested  to  them  that 
perhaps  God  wanted  them  to  make  some  sacrifice.  Later  they  came 
and  said  they  wanted  to  do  without  mutton  for  a  month.  They 
have  mutton  curry  once  a  week,  and  it  is  their  best  meal.  Wheu 
asked  what  curry  should  be  given  them  in  place  of  it,  they  replied, 
"  We  shall  eat  only  rice  that  meal ;  we  want  to  give  it  all."  In  this 
way  they  gave  four  rupees  to  Home  Missions. 

Junior  Presentation 

WHY  THE  GIRLS  IN  INDIA  GAVE  UP  MUTTON  AND  CURRY 

I   wonder    if  anybody  here   likes  a  good  dinner,   when   hungry  ? 
Why,  of  course,  you  do. 
What  are  some  of  the  things  you  like  ? 

Note. — Get  such  answers  as  roast  beef,  turkey,  chicken,  corn, 
beans,  apple  pie,  ice-cream,  etc. ;  suggesting  some  of  these,  If 
the  school  does  not  readily  respond. 

In  warm  countries,  the  people  like  hot  things  to  eat  and  highly 
seasoned  food.  In  India,  for  example,  one  of  the  favorite  dishes  is 
rice  and  curry.  Curry  is  a  kind  of  sauce  containing  garlic,  pepper, 
ginger,  and  other  strong  spices. 

Now  I  want  to  tell  you  what  some  Christian  schoolgirls  in  an 
orphanage  at  Ratnagiri,  India,  did  when  they  wanted  to  give  an 
offering  to  home  missions.     They  had  no  money. 

Once  a  week  they  had  mutton  for  dinner.  They  decided  they 
would  do  without  mutton  for  a  month,  their  best  meal  of  the  whole 
week,  and  give  the  money  that  would  thus  be  saved  to  the  National 
Missionary  Society  of  India.  It  was  as  if  you  or  I  would  give  up,  for 
a  whole  month,  the  thing  we  like  most  at  our  best  dinner  all  the 
week. 

But  not  only  did  these  girls  give  up  their  mutton  dinner;  they 
went  without  their  curry  also  and  ate  only  rice  for  that  meal.  By 
doing  this  they  were  able  to  give,  how  much  do  you  suppose  ?  Four 
rupees  or  one  dollar  and  twenty-eight  cents  to  home  missions. 

Adapt  Material  and  Presentation  to  Departments 

Some  items,  such  as  those  dealing  with  the  details  of 
the  opium  curse  or  certain  kinds  of  medical  cases,  may 
be  appropriate  only  for  adults;  and  others  will  make 
their  most  natural  appeal  only  to  very  juvenile  minds, 
such  as  anecdotes  regarding  little  children  and  child 
life.  Care  must,  therefore,  be  exercised  in  selecting 
items  for  use  in  the  Sunday-school  that  regard  is  paid 
to  the  grade  or  grades  to  which  they  are  to  be  presented. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  21 

Items  for  the  "  Main  School,"  where  several  grades 
gather,  may  be  addressed  usually  to  Intermediates,  and 
will  then  be  generally  acceptable  to  the  rest.  Some 
variety  of  presentation  to  different  grades  in  the 
"  Main  School "  should  be  sought,  however.  One  week 
the  item  may  be  peculiarly  suitable  for  Juniors,  an- 
other Sunday  to  Intermediates  or  Seniors.  In  the 
items  and  suggested  presentations  in  the  text  in  Part 
II,  this  has  been  kept  in  mind.  The  story  of  Santa 
Claus  in  Korea,  for  instance,  page  118,  is  meant  for 
Juniors.  To  them  it  will  make  a  strong  appeal,  but 
Intermediates  will  prefer  the  story  of  the  Stolen  Bible, 
on  page  73. 

Typical  Presentations  Offered 

It  has,  of  course,  been  impossible  within  the  limits 
of  the  present  volume  to  present  the  endless  variety 
of  ways  in.  which  much  of  the  material  might  be  given. 
Typical  ways,  however,  have  been  presented  and 
abundantly  illustrated.  The  Sunday-school  worker 
with  ordinary  originality  will  therefore  use  much  of 
the  material,  not  only  in  the  setting  in  which  the  par- 
ticular item  may  be  given  in  the  text,  but  in  various 
other  ways  as  well.  For  example,  the  Field  Item,  "  A 
Dramatic  Close  to  a  Prayer  Meeting,"  page  27,  might 
be  used  as  a  Prayer  Introduction.  The  Prayer  In- 
troduction, "Kepeating  and  Praying  the  Lord's 
Prayer,"  page  28,  and  the  Scripture  Introduction, 
"Facing  Death  Without  Flinching,"  page  29,  might 
each  be  used  as  a  Field  Item.  The  Field  Item,  "A 
Laos  Evangelist  Tears  His  Bible  in  Pieces,"  page  85, 
might  be  used  in  connection  with  a  Scripture  Introduc- 
tion and  Psalm  cxix.  97-104. 

Provide  Opportunity  for  Expression 

Opportunity  for  expression  of  interest  aroused 
through  the  missionary  impression  should  be  ade- 
quately provided  for.  The  purpose  of  telling  the  mis- 
sionary items  and  incidents  that  follow  is  not  merely 
to  stir  an  emotion,  provoke  a  smile,  or  arouse  a  tem- 
porary interest.  The  aim  is  rather  to  secure  a  right 
^ttitude  of  mind  toward,  and  a  wise  guidance  of  activ- 
ity for  missions  both  home  and  foreign. 


Part  II 

MATERIAL  FOR  FIFTY-TWO  SUNDAYS 

ARRANGEMENT   OF  THE  MATERIAL 

Method  of  Treatment 

In  the  following  outline  of  topics  for  Fifty-two  Sun- 
days, both  home  and  foreign  missions  are  impartially 
treated.  If  more  foreign  mission  material  is  used  than 
home,  it  is  not  because  any  distinction  is  drawn  be- 
tween these  two  phases  of  the  work.  The  geographical 
extent  of  foreign  missions  being  so  much  larger  than 
that  of  home  missions,  more  space  is  required  to  give 
any  fair  representation  of  the  work  abroad  carried  on 
by  the  various  denominations.  The  purpose  through- 
out has  been  to  make  a  missionary,  not  a  home  mission- 
ary nor  a  foreign  missionary  impression. 

The  limits  of  the  Fifty-two  topics  of  Five  Mis- 
sionary Minutes  do  not  permit  the  mention  of  all  mis- 
sion fields,  but  the  following  subjects  at  home  and 
abroad  are  treated : 

Alaska,  Canada,  Immigrants,  Indians,  Labrador, 
Mountaineers,  New  Mexico,  Negroes,  North  American 
Frontier,  Porto  Rico;  Africa,  Brazil,  China,  India, 
Japan,  Korea,  Laos,  Syria. 

If  some  country  is  mentioned  in  which  your  denom- 
ination is  not  at  work,  do  not  hesitate  to  use  the  item, 
as  we  should  train  the  Sunday-school  to  a  broader  in- 
terest than  the  denominational. 

In  the  arrangement  of  material,  care  has  been  taken 
to  present  in  each  quarter  a  temperance  item,*  a  field 
letter,  a  book  announcement,  and  a  reference  to  some 
form  of  practical  Christian  activity  or  service  in  which 
the  members  of  the  school  should  engage.    The  remain- 

*  See  note  on  page  25. 

22 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  23 

ing  Sundays  of  each  quarter  present  the  various  topics 
mentioned  in  the  Index,  the  aim  being  to  balance  well 
the  arrangement  of  material  from  the  various  home 
and  foreign  fields,  and  also  to  offer  variety  of  presenta- 
tion from  week  to  week. 

Any  rearrangement  of  the  topics  may  be  made  to 
suit  local  needs,  but  when  doing  so,  care  should  be 
taken  to  balance  the  material  properly,  and  to  secure 
variety  of  presentation. 

In  Part  III  will  be  found  material  for  the  following 
Special  Days  and  Occasions:  New  Year,  Easter,  Chil- 
dren's Day,  a  Patriotic  Day  (July  First  for  Canada, 
July  Fourth  for  United  States),  World's  Temperance 
Sunday,  Thanksgiving,  World's  Peace  Sunday, 
Christmas. 

Missions  and  Character 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  Sunday-school,  the  value 
of  the  missionary  material  presented  in  the  following 
pages  must  lie  in  its  contribution  to  the  development 
of  Christian  character.  The  items  should  not  be  in- 
troduced simply  because  they  may  be  interesting,  or 
even  because  they  are  missionary,  but  rather  because 
they  are  the  kind  of  missionary  material  that  con- 
tributes to  character  development  by  meeting  the  needs 
of  the  pupil  at  the  varying  stages  of  his  growth.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  character 
development  is  quite  impossible  apart  from  personal 
service  for  others,  which  is  only  another  term  for  mis- 
sionary endeavor.  The  Sunday-school  pupil  must 
necessarily  be  trained  to  engage  in  personal  service  for 
his  fellow  men,  and  missionary  instruction  provides  in 
large  measure  the  impulse  for  such  service.  Mission- 
ary education,  therefore,  becomes  essential  in  the  Sun- 
day-school curriculum. 

Adapt  Material  to  Needs 

The  person  who  presents  any  of  the  items  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages  should  keep  clearly  in  mind  the  needs 
of  certain  pupils  and  study  how  best  the  item  may  be 
adapted  to  the  recognized  needs  of  a  particular  grade 
or  grades. 


24  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

For  example,  the  Scripture  Introduction  on  the  First 
Sunday,  "  The  Verses  that  Led  to  Neesima's  Conver- 
sion," has  value  because  it  finds  a  point  of  contact 
in  the  life  of  the  average  Intermediate  pupil,  who  is 
face  to  face  with  the  great  question  of  his  own  con- 
version. The  courage  of  Dr.  Lewis  in  fighting  the 
dreaded  pneumonic  plague,  recounted  on  the  fourth 
Sunday,  is  a  fine  example  of  heroism  not  only  for 
Juniors,  but  for  the  entire  school.  The  value  to  the 
Sunday-school  session  in  the  statements  of  the  Student 
Volunteers  given  on  the  eleventh  Sunday  lies  in  the 
appeal  to  Seniors,  who  are  facing  the  problem  of  what 
to  do  with  their  own  lives. 

Cultural  Value  the  Test 

It  is  at  once  evident,  therefore,  that  such  material  as 
Five  Missionary  Minutes  presents  is  useful,  not 
merely  as  a  collection  of  missionary  items,  but  because 
the  items  have  cultural  value  and  make  an  appeal  to 
the  natural  interests  of  growing  Sunday-school  pupils 
and  contribute  to  the  development  of  their  character. 
Only  on  this  ground  has  such  a  book  a  rightful  place 
in  the  Sunday-school,  however  useful  it  might  be  out- 
side. But  from  the  standpoint  of  character  develop- 
ment it  becomes  a  necessity. 


PRESENTATION  OF  THE  MATERIAL 
FIRST  QUARTER* 

FIRST  SUNDAY 
SCRIPTURE    INTRODUCTION 

THE  VERSES  THAT  LED  TO  NEESIMA'S  CON- 
VERSION 

Scripture  Lesson :  Genesis  i.   1 ;   John  iii.   16. 

Instead  of  referring  to  our  Bibles  for  our  Scripture 
lesson  to-day,  I  wish  that  we  might  repeat  together 
from  memory  two  verses — one  from  the  Old  Testament 
and  the  other  from  the  New.  There  is  a  story  con- 
nected with  them. 

In  1843  there  was  born  in  Japan  a  boy  by  the  name 
of  Neesima.f  This  was  ten  years  before  Commodore 
Perry  opened  up  Japan  to  trade  with  the  out- 
side world.  When  Neesima  was  born,  the  Japanese 
had  nothing  to  do  with  foreigners.  It  was  a  capital 
crime  for  a  Japanese  to  leave  his  own  country.  Nee- 
sima, however,  had  a  great  aim.  It  was  to  acquire  West- 
ern learning,  and  so  he  made  his  way  to  one  of  the 
ports,  Hakodate,  where  he  hoped  he  might  board  an 
English  or  American  boat  and  so  escape  to  America. 

He  longed  not  only  for  Western  learning,  but  for 
knowledge  of  God,  because  he  had  lost  faith  in  his 
family  gods  which  stood  on  the  shelf  in  his  home.  He 
noticed  that  they  never  touched  the  food  that  was 
placed  before  them.  One  day  he  got  hold  of  a  Bible 
in  the  Chinese  language  and  was  greatly  struck  by  the 
first  verse  of  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis. 

♦  Notb.— As  no  Temperance  item  is  classified  under  this  Quarter,  one 
will  be  found  in  Part  III,  World's  Temperance  Sunday, 
t  Pronounce,  Nee'-si-ma. 

25 


26  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

Let  us  repeat  it  together. 

"In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens 
and  the  earth." 

This  statement  answered  some  of  the  questions  that 
had  been  in  Neesima's  mind.  God  was  the  creator, 
and  from  that  time  on  he  used  to  pray,  "Please  let  me 
reach  my  aim." 

On  reaching  Hakodate,  he  made  arrangements  with 
the  captain  of  an  American  schooner  for  passage  to 
Shanghai.  He  ran  a  great  risk,  for  if  detected  it  meant 
certain  death.  God,  however,  watched  over  him  and 
enabled  him  to  escape.  This  was  on  July  18,  1864. 
After  he  reached  Shanghai,  Neesima  found  another 
American  vessel,  the  Wild  Rover,  bound  for  Boston, 
and  persuaded  the  captain  to  employ  him  as  his  per- 
sonal servant.  It  was  a  year  before  the  schooner 
reached  its  destination. 

While  they  were  in  Hongkong,  Neesima  discovered 
a  Chinese  New  Testament  in  a  bookstore,  and  he  deter- 
mined to  have  it.  He  had  no  money,  so  he  decided  to 
part  with  his  sword  which  he  always  wore.  He  read 
the  book  day  and  night  and  found  in  it  answers  to  many 
questions  which  had  perplexed  his  mind. 

The  verse  we  have  already  repeated  and  John  iii.  16 
were  the  two  that  led  Neesima  to  become  a  Christian. 

Let  us  repeat  together  these  two  verses. 

"  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens 
and  the  earth." 

"  For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on 
him  should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life." 

Adapted  from  Hardy,  Life  and  Letters  of  Joseph  Hardy 
Neesima. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  27 

SECOND   SUNDAY 

FIELD  ITEM 

A  DRAMATIC  CLOSE  TO  A  PRAYER  MEETING 

I  want  you  to  see  some  word-pictures.  One  is  of  a 
band  of  Assiniboin  *  Indians  meeting  in  a  large  wig- 
wam in  Saskatchewan  f  several  hundred  miles  west  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  Some  years  before,  a  missionary 
named  Rundle  had  brought  to  them  the  gospel,  but  as 
he  was  compelled  to  return  to  England  they  had  had 
no  missionary  teacher  for  some  years.  These  Indians, 
however,  had  cherished  what  they  had  been  taught,  and 
as  we  look  upon  them  in  the  wigwam,  they  are  holding 
a  prayer-meeting. 

Another  picture  shows  us  Henry  Steinhauer,  a  mis- 
sionary, on  his  way  to  these  very  Indians.  For  ten 
weeks  he  has  been  traveling  to  reach  them,  and  when 
the  hour  for  camping  for  the  night  draws  near,  he  still 
has  several  miles  to  travel  to  the  village.  He  is  so 
anxious,  however,  to  reach  the  Indians  that  he  keeps 
on  his  way  and  reaches  their  village  just  as  they  are 
holding  their  prayer  service  in  the  big  wigwam. 

As  he  approaches  the  wigwam,  he  hears  singing, 
and  is  surprised,  because  he  had  expected  to  hear  the 
droning  of  the  Indian  medicine-men  or  conjurers.  In- 
stead, it  is  a  Christian  hymn.  He  can  hardly  believe 
his  ears. 

He  draws  near  to  listen,  and  after  the  hymn  he  hears 
prayers  of  thanksgiving,  and  then  this  petition : 

"Lord,  send  us  another  missionary  like  Rundle.  Lord,  send  us  a 
missionary  to  teach  us  out  of  thy  Word  more  about  thyself  and 
thy  Son,  Jesus." 

During  the  prayer,  Mr.  Steinhauer  lifts  the  tanned 
leather  door  of  the  wigwam,  enters,  and  bows  down  on 
his  knees  with  the  Indians.  When  they  arise,  he  tells 
them  who  he  is  and  that  he  has  come  to  be  their  mis- 
sionary. They  are  overjoyed,  and  welcome  him  with 
shouts  and  tears  of  gladness,  as  though  he  had  just 

*  Pronounce,   As-sin'-i-boin.    f  Pronounce,  Sas-katch'-e-wan. 


28  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

come  down  from  heaven  to  dwell  among  them  in  answer 
to  their  prayer. 

Adapted  from  Young,   The  Apostle  of  the  North,  James 
Evans. 

THIRD   SUNDAY 

PRAYER  INTRODUCTION 

REPEATING   AND   PRAYING   THE   LORD'S 
PRAYER 

The  native  supervising  principal  of  schools  of  a  very 
important  district  in  Porto  Rico  is  now  an  earnest 
Christian  man.  The  Bible  is  studied  daily  in  his 
home  at  the  family  altar,  and  he  is  exerting  a  wide  in- 
fluence for  Christ. 

It  was  through  hearing  the  Lord's  Prayer  reverently 
prayed  in  English,  and  not  just  repeated,  in  the  San 
Juan  High  School  one  morning,  before  the  scholars  be- 
gan the  work  of  the  day,  that  he  realized  the  truths  this 
prayer  contains,  and  was  thus  led  step  by  step  to  be- 
come a  Christian. 

Having  been  brought  up  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  as  a  boy,  he  had  memorized  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
the  Creed,  and  the  Church  doctrines  in  Spanish,  but 
they  were  never  explained  to  him,  and  they  brought  no 
spiritual  teaching.  As  he  grew  older,  he  drifted  off 
into  doubt  and  unbelief. 

After  being  aroused  to  the  truth  of  a  personal  God 
and  that  he  himself  was  an  immortal  soul,  through 
hearing  the  Lord's  Prayer  really  prayed,  he  visited  the 
Protestant  church  and  Sunday-school,  became  further 
interested,  and  began  to  study  the  Bible.  He  soon  ac- 
cepted Christ,  and  his  heart  is  now  filled  with  a  great 
longing  to  be  used  for  the  salvation  of  his  fellow  Porto 
Ricans. 

As  we  unite  in  the  Lord's  Prayer  to-day,  may  we 
not  just  repeat  it,  but  really  pray  it.     And  then  will 

Mr continue  for  a  moment,  leading  us,  and 

asking  God's  blessing  upon  the  schools  in  Porto  Rico? 

Adapted  from  leaflet,  "  Finding  the  Truth  in  Porto  Rico." 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  29 

FOURTH    SUNDAY 

SCRIPTURE    INTRODUCTION 

FACING   DEATH   WITHOUT    FLINCHING 

Scripture  Lesson  :  Psalm  xci. 

Before  we  read  together  for  our  Scripture  lesson  to- 
day the  ninety-first  Psalm,  I  want  to  tell  you  an  in- 
cident from  China  which  should  give  to  the  Psalm  new 
meaning. 

In  the  early  part  of  1911  the  terrible  pneumonic 
plague  was  raging  in  China.  Dr.  Charles  Lewis  of 
Paotingfu  with  other  helpers  was  engaged  in  fighting 
it.     This  is  what  he  says : 

Note. — It  is  suggested  that  the  following  three  paragraphs 
be  read  : 

I  think  all  of  our  Christians,  both  foreign  and  native,  have  done 
everything  they  could  to  help  in  this  time  of  the  people's  needs,  and 
all  has  been  done  that  could  be  done  to  stop  the  tide  of  this  pesti- 
lence. 

Thrown  right  into  contact  with  such  a  deadly  thing  as  this, 
makes  one  keep  close  to  God,  and  it  has  caused  me,  besides  observ- 
ing every  one  of  his  laws  I  knew  of  disinfection,  also  to  commit  to 
memory  the  91st  Psalm,  which  I  have  said  over  to  myself  many 
times  a  day,  and  it  gives  confidence,  where  I  think  fear  would  have 
come  without  it. 

I  cannot  say  now,  of  course,  that  I  am  not  infected  and  will  not 
know  for  some  days  after  I  get  back  home  that  I  am  not,  but  my 
heart  is  at  peace,  for  I  am  confident  that  I  am  doing  my  duty  and  am 
where  he  wants  me  just  now. 

We  are  glad  to  say  that  Dr.  Lewis  was  not  stricken 
and  that  he  was  able  to  go  back  to  his  work  in  the  hos- 
pital at  Paotingfu.  There  are  thousands  of  other 
men  and  women  just  as  brave  in  danger,  just  as  true 
and  loyal,  just  as  Christlike  as  he.  Are  you  not  glad 
that  we  can  have  a  share  in  supporting  the  work  of 
such  missionaries? 

Now  let  us  read  together  this  Psalm  which  brought 
comfort  to  Dr.  Lewis,  the  ninety-first. 

Adapted  from  a  letter  of  Dr.  Charles  Lewis. 


30  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

FIFTH   SUNDAY 

HYMN  INTRODUCTION 

ALL  HAIL  THE  POWER  OF  JESUS'  NAME 

TUNE,  MILES  LANE 

George  Grenfell  was  a  missionary  explorer  on  the 
Kongo  in  Africa  from  1875  to  1906.  One  time  while 
traveling  along  the  Lomami  River,  one  of  the  trib- 
utaries of  the  Kongo,  at  several  of  the  landing-places 
he  was  welcomed  by  a  choir  of  pupils  from  the  mission 
schools  with  their  teachers  singing  to  the  tune,  Miles 
Lane,  a  translation  of  "  All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus' 
name." 

The  strains  of  the  music  floated  across  the  water  be- 
fore the  engines  of  the  little  vessel  had  stopped.  As 
Grenfell  listened,  his  heart  was  filled  with  gratitude  to 
God,  that  these  native  Africans  redeemed  by  Christ 
were  now  singing  "  Crown  Him  Lord  of  all."  Grenfell 
knew  what  scenes  of  cruelty  had  been  enacted  on  the 
banks  of  this  very  river  before  the  gospel  light  had 
come.  He  had  himself  seen  there  the  devastation  and 
the  smoking  ruins  left  by  the  Arab  slave-traders.  But 
now  better  days  had  come. 

Do  you  wonder  that  the  missionary,  thrilled  with 
emotion,  joined  with  these  converted  Africans  in  sing- 
ing that  wonderful  coronation  hymn? 

Let  us  imagine  ourselves  in  Grenfell's  company  in 
the  heart  of  Africa  to-day,  and  stirred  as  was  he,  let 
our  song  of  praise  to  Christ  ring  out  "  Crown  Him 
Lord  of  all." 

Adapted  from  Hawker,  The  Life  of  George  Grenfell. 

SIXTH   SUNDAY 

FIELD  ITEM 

TREATING  DYSPEPSIA  IN   KOREA 

Leader — I  wonder  if  any  of  you  here  to-day  have  ever 
had  dyspepsia?     Have  you? 

Yes,  I  see  some  have. 
Well,  it  makes  you  quite  uncomfortable. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  31 

A  man  in  Korea  had  a  bad  case  of  it.  A  friend 
thought  he  could  help  him.  So  he  got  a  reed  two  and 
a  half  feet  long,  tied  a  swab  on  the  end  of  it,  and 
then  told  the  dyspeptic  to  open  his  mouth.  He  did  so, 
and  the  friend  inserted  the  reed,  and  pushed  it  down 
his  throat  in  order  to  press  the  food  past  the  sticking- 
point. 

Unfortunately,  the  reed  broke  off  and  left  ten  and 
a  half  inches  of  it  and  the  swab  in  the  man's  stomach. 
After  five  days  of  suffering  he  was  brought  in  on  a 
chair  to  the  mission  hospital  at  Taiku.  He  could 
neither  eat  nor  drink,  and  lay  in  a  semi-conscious  con- 
dition most  of  the  time.  The  doctor  gave  him  chloro- 
form and  opened  the  abdomen.  The  piece  of  reed  with 
swab  attached  was  found  in  the  stomach.  It  was  ex- 
tracted and  the  patient  made  a  fine  recovery. 

What  if  there  had  been  no  missionary  hospital ! 
Adapted  from  a  letter  of  Dr.  Woodbridge  O.  Johnson. 

SEVENTH   SUNDAY 

SCRIPTURE  INTRODUCTION 

A  COMMAND  AND  A  PEOMISE 

Scripture  Lesson:  Matthew  xxviii.  18-20. 

There  are  just  three  verses  that  I  want  you  to  consider 
for  our  Scripture  lesson  to-day,  and  I  wish  that  we 
might  all  learn  them  if  we  do  not  know  them  already. 
One  is  a  command  and  the  other  is  a  promise,  and  they 
are  found  side  by  side,  in  our  Bibles.  In  fact  you  can- 
not separate  them,  for  the  promise  can  only  be  claimed 
if  the  command  is  obeyed. 

Before  we  turn  to  these  verses  in  our  Bibles,  I  want 
to  tell  you  a  story. 

David  Livingstone  was  one  of  the  greatest  mis- 
sionaries of  the  nineteenth  century.  He  gave  his  life 
to  Africa,  and  spent  much  of  his  time  exploring  in  an 
attempt  to  find  a  suitable  way  from  the  coast  to  the 
interior,  so  that  lawful  commerce  and  a  chain  of  mis- 
sion stations  might  be  established. 

On  his  way  to  the  East  coast  he  came  into  a  region 
where  the  Loangwa  and  Zambezi  Eivers  join,  that  was 


32  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

inhabited  by  very  hostile  natives.  The  chief  refused  to 
permit  him  to  continue  his  journey,  and  yet  it  was  ab- 
solutely necessary  that  Livingstone  should  go  on.  He 
was  in  great  distress  of  mind,  as  he  feared  that  all  his 
plans  to  benefit  that  great  region  might  be  ended  by 
these  savages. 

His  solace  was  in  prayer,  and  in  the  three  verses  that 
we  shall  take  as  our  Scripture  lesson  to-day,  Matthew 
xxviii.  18-20. 

(Verse  18)  "  All  authority  hath  been  given  unto  me  in  heaven 
and  on  earth. 

(Verse  19)  "  Go  ye  therefore  and  make  disciples  of  all  the 
nations,  baptizing  them  into  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son 
and  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

(Verse  20)  "Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I 
commanded  you  ;  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world.'' 

"It  is  the  word  of  a  gentleman  of  the  most  sacred 
and  strictest  honor,  and  there  is  an  end  on't,"  wrote 
Livingstone  in  his  journal,  January  14,  1856. 

The  next  day  he  and  his  caravan  were  allowed  to 
proceed. 

Leader — To  whom  does  authority  belong,  as  declared 
in  this  passage? 

To  Christ. 
How  much  authority  or  power? 

"  All  authority  in  heaven  and  on  earth." 

In  view  of  this,  what  is  the  command  to  Christ's  fol- 
lowers ? 

"Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all 
the  nations,  baptizing  them  into  the  name  of  the 
Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 

Had  David  Livingstone  obeyed  this  command? 

Yes. 
Had  he  any  right,  then,  to  claim  the  promise? 

Yes. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  33 

What  is  that  promise? 

"  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world." 

Adapted  from  Blaikie,   The  Personal  Life  of  David  Liv- 
ingstone. 


EIGHTH    SUNDAY 

FIELD  ITEM 

AN  INDIAN  DEFENDS   THE   BIBLE 

Some  years  ago  when  Mormon  missionaries  went 
to  the  Province  of  Ontario  in  Canada,  with  the  object 
of  making  converts,  they  held  a  meeting  in  which  they 
belittled  the  Bible  and  told  how  the  book  of  Mormon 
had  been  dug  up  out  of  the  ground  by  Joseph  Smith, 
and  was  a  revelation  from  God  much  superior  to  the 
Bible.  After  the  Mormon  missionary  finished,  he  asked 
if  any  one  desired  to  make  any  remarks.  As  no  white 
man  arose  to  defend  the  Bible,  John  Sunday,  a  con- 
verted Indian,  rose  and  said: 

A  great  many  winters  ago,  the  Great  Spirit  gave  his  good  Book 
the  Bible,  to  the  white  man  over  the  great  waters.  He  took  it  and 
read  it,  and  it  made  his  heart  all  over  glad.  By  and  by  white  man 
came  over  to  this  country,  and  brought  the  good  Book  with  him. 
He  gave  it  to  poor  Indian.  He  hear  it,  and  understand  it,  and  it 
make  his  heart  very  glad  too.  But  when  the  Great  Spirit  gave  his 
good  Book  to  the  white  man,  the  evil  spirit,  the  Muche-Manito,  try 
to  make  a  book  too,  and  he  try  to  make  it  like  the  Great  Spirit  made 
his,  but  he  could  not,  and  then  he  got  so  ashamed  of  it,  that  he  go  in 
the  woods,  and  dig  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and  there  he  hide  his  book. 
After  lying  there  for  many  winters,  Joe  Smith  go  and  dig  it  up.  This 
is  the  book  this  preacher  has  been  talking  about.  I  hold  fast  to  the 
good  old  Bible,  which  has  made  my  heart  so  happy.  I  will  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  devil's  book. 

This  quaint  speech  ended  that  Mormon's  career  in 
that  neighborhood. 

From  Young,  The  Apostle  of  the  Northj  James  Evans, 


34  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

NINTH   SUNDAY 
FIELD  ITEM 

HOW  AN  AFRICAN  WITCH  DOCTOR  WAS  PUT 
OUT  OF  BUSINESS 

In  equatorial  Africa  an  operation  for  appendicitis 
was  performed  in  a  cannibal  village  under  very  dra- 
matic circumstances.  The  village  had  never  been  vis- 
ited by  a  missionary  before,  but  the  fame  of  the 
medical  healer,  Dr.  Dye,  had  gone  before  him,  and 
the  missionary  found  the  natives  very  much  excited 
upon  his  arrival.  They  brought  to  him  a  man  who  was 
very  ill.  On  examination  the  doctor  found  that  he 
was  suffering  from  appendicitis.  He  told  the  natives 
that  an  operation  would  be  necessary  and  described  to 
them  what  he  should  do.  They  were  wonder-struck  at 
the  suggestion  of  cutting  open  the  sick  man's  body, 
but,  since  they  thought  the  patient  would  die  anyway, 
they  were  willing. 

Dr.  Dye  arranged  an  improvised  operating-table  in 
a  little  hollow,  and  the  people  gathered  by  hundreds  on 
the  sides  of  the  ravine  to  watch  him.  He  gave  the  an- 
esthetic, and,  as  the  man  passed  into  unconsciousness, 
the  people  all  raised  a  shout,  "  The  man  is  dead."  Then 
they  watched  the  skilful  physician  as  he  made  the  in- 
cision, removed  the  appendix,  and  sewed  up  the  wound. 
Then  a  murmur  passed  around  through  the  crowd,  "  He 
has  killed  the  man,  cut  him  open,  taken  his  insides  out, 
and  sewed  him  up.  Now  can  he  bring  him  back  to 
life?" 

In  a  few  moments,  sure  enough,  the  patient  revived, 
opened  his  eyes,  and  looked  around.  The  natives  were 
wonderfully  excited.  To  them  it  was  a  miracle,  indeed. 
They  sent  messengers  everywhere  proclaiming,  "  Come 
and  hear  the  message  of  the  white  man,  for  he  speaks 
with  authority.  He  has  killed  a  man,  cut  him  open, 
removed  his  insides,  sewed  him  up  again,  and  brought 
him  back  to  life." 

Dr.  Dye  relates  that  that  operation  overthrew  the 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  35 

power  of  the  native  witch-doctor  and  enabled  him  to 
plant  a  church  in  that  village. 

From    Missionary    Programs    of    the    Foreign    Christian 
Missionary  Society. 

TENTH   SUNDAY 

PRAYER  INTRODUCTION 

THE  LORD'S  PRAYER  AMENDED 

Note. — It  is  suggested  that  before  the  school  opens,  the 
Lord's  Prayer  be  copied  on  the  blackboard  in  large  letters,  in 
view  of  the  whole  school.  Then  as  the  Leader  talks  and  asks 
the  school  what  part  of  it  should  be  crossed  out  and  changed 
by  the  person  who  does  not  believe  in  Missions,  he  will  make 
the  changes  indicated  below.  If  the  words  crossed  out  are 
then  erased,  it  will  be  graphically  evident  how  little  is  left 
of  the   prayer  Jesus   taught  his  disciples. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  Amended 

For  the  use  of  the  man  who  doesn't  believe  in  Missions 

"©ur  Father  Who  art  in  Heaven, 

TTStfat&td  -be.  Thy.  "Attjw*. 

*Th$,'Kliigihm  coma. 

"ThySWHl  "be-  akma.  w*.  "Earth. 

As.-it.-is.'tn.Tiernten. 

Give  -to  this  day th**.  daily  bread. 

And  forgive  *toth*2  debts, 

74fr.*nw»  ftn  tftVc  ow  tfeftf  w*. 

"ttvjB. 
And  lead  -us.  not  into  temptation, 

But  deliver  tts-  from  evil:, 

'FotCThme^hZtke*  KliTg  dom, 

*mLthe.-g4<x&. 

Fotwac    Amen. 

Adapted    from    Handbook    on    Foreign    Missions,    1911, 
United  Presbyterian  Church  of  North  America. 


36  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

Another  effective  way  to  use  the  material: 

Leader — We  have  on  the  blackboard  a  new  rendering  of 
the  Lord's  Prayer.     Let  us  read  it  over  together  as 
amended  by  the  person  who  does  not  believe  in  mis- 
sions. 
Does  anybody  in  the  school  like  it? 

(Get  answers  of  "  No  "  from  the  scholars.) 

What  is  the  matter  with  it,  as  it  stands? 

(Get  answers,  "It  is  incomplete,  mutilated, 
unsatisfactory.  It  is  not  our  Lord's  Prayer  as 
he  gave  it.  It  is  a  selfish  prayer,  with  no  men- 
tion of  the  Kingdom."  ) 

Leader — Because  it  is  not  our  Lord's  Prayer,  we  can- 
not use  it.  But  let  us  all  join  in  praying  to-day 
the  prayer  as  our  Lord  taught  us. 

ELEVENTH    SUNDAY 

RECRUITING  FOR  SERVICE  BY  A  HYMN 
INTRODUCTION 

SPEED  AWAY,  SPEED  AWAY  ON  YOUK  MIS- 
SION OF  LIGHT 

Leader — At  the  Rochester  Convention  of  the  Student 
Volunteer  Movement,  held  in  January,  1910,  there  were 
assembled  about  two  thousand  of  the  choicest  young 
men  and  women  from  the  colleges  of  North  America. 
They  had  come  together  to  consider  the  whole  question 
of  the  relation  of  the  students  of  our  colleges  and  uni- 
versities to  the  problem  of  world  evangelization  in  our 
day  and  generation. 

In  one  of  the  closing  meetings  of  the  convention  the 
platform  was  filled  with  young  men  and  young  women 
who  within  a  year  planned  to  go  out  to  the  mission 
fields.  They  were  asked  to  tell  in  a  few  words  to  what 
country  they  were  going  and  why. 

I  have  asked  a  number  of  the  young  people  of  our 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  37 

Sunday-school  to  give  to  you  to-day  some  of  their  an- 
swers. 

Note — These  should  be  copied  and  given  out  the  week  before. 
The  young  people  who  take  part  will  now  rise  and  in  rapid  succes- 
sion each  read  or  repeat  the  following  sentences. 

I  have  but  one  life  to  invest,  and  I  feel  that  God  has 
called  me  to  North  China. 

I  am  going  to  South  America  to  publish  the  tidings 
that  needy  and  dying  men  may  know  our  Christ. 

I  go  to  Japan.  I  was  born  in  the  barracks,  and  I 
am  going  to  take  my  father's  work. 

China.  Because  I  want  my  life  to  tell  in  a  place 
where  He  is  unknown. 

The  gift  of  a  life  is  my  only  answer  as  a  Christian 
to  the  tremendous  need  in  India. 

God  has  called  me  to  Alaska,  and  I  must  obey. 

I  hope  that  I  may  have  the  privilege  of  bringing  the 
gospel  to  my  sisters  in  India,  because  of  the  crying 
need. 

Foochow,  China.  Because  there  are  hundreds  of 
women  and  girls  there  whom  I  may  serve  and  who  are 
hungering  and  thirsting  for  the  unchanging  Christ, 
whom  I  know.  Before  God,  I  cannot  stay  in  this  coun- 
try and  face  the  future  eternities. 

Anywhere  He  sends,  because  I  found  I  could  not  pray 
for  missions  and  not  go  in  answer  to  my  prayer. 

Punjab,  India.    Because  of  the  irresistible  cry. 

India.  Because  He  has  called  me,  and  I  feel  that 
my  life  will  not  count  for  the  most  unless  I  follow 
His  vision  and  call. 

South  Africa.  Because  I  have  the  opportunity  and 
it  is  the  greatest  opportunity  a  man  can  have  to  go. 

Where  He  wills.    For  God  so  loved  the  world. 

Wherever  there  is  opportunity  and  need,  because  I 
have  something  somebody  somewhere  wants. 


38  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

Foreign  Field.  Because  His  love  will  not  let  me  stay 
at  home. 

The  -field  into  which  He  leads,  to  tell  of  my  Savior 
and  His  love  for  those  who  know  Him  not. 

W hither  Christ  shall  lead.    Because  He  says,  "  Go." 

Quotations  from  Students  and  the  Present  Missionary 
Crisis.  The  Report  of  the  Rochester  Student  Volun- 
teer Convention. 

Leader — At  the  close  of  these  testimonies  in 
Rochester  there  was  sung  that  wonderful  missionary 
hymn,  "  Speed  away,  speed  away  on  your  mission  of 
light,"  and  every  heart  was  moved. 

Note. — It  will  be  very  impressive  to  have  some  one  sing  this 
hymn  as  a  solo  or  else  have  a  quartet  sing  the  hymn.  If  this 
is  not  possible,  the  entire  school  may  join  in  singing  the  hymn. 
If  "  Speed  Away "  is  not  available,  "  Ye  Christian  heralds  go 
proclaim,"  or  the  consecration  hymn,  "  It  may  not  be  on  the 
mountain's  height,"  may  be  used. 

TWELFTH   SUNDAY 
BOOK  ANNOUNCEMENT 

THE  DAYS  OF  JUNE* 

BY  MARY  CULLER  WHITE 

Great  souls  sometimes  dwell  in  frail  bodies.  Such  a 
soul  was  June  Nicholson,  a  Southern  girl'  of  finest 
type.  At  first  her  name  was  Jane,  but  her  sunny  dis- 
position as  a  baby  won  for  her  the  name  of  June,  and 
by  this  name  she  was  ever  afterward  called. 

Early  in  life  she  got  hold  of  a  big  idea.  Resolving 
to  carry  it  out,  she  was  on  her  way  one  day  from  her 
South  Carolina  home  to  Kansas  City.  She  had  to 
change  cars  at  Atlanta,  and  when  she  reached  there 
such  a  feeling  of  homesickness  overcame  her  she  sold 
her  ticket  and  prepared  to  return  home.  But  her  trunk 
had  to  be  gotten  off  the  train,  and  for  this  she  went 
to  the  baggage-master. 

*  Published  by  Fleming  H.  Revell  Company,  New  York.  Price, 
50  cents,  net.  A  book  suitable  for  Senior  reader*. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  39 

"My  trunk  is  checked  for  Kansas  City,"  she  said; 
"  but  I  am  not  going,  and  I  want  to  get  it  off." 

"  Surrender  your  ticket,"  was  the  businesslike  reply, 
"  and  you  can  get  your  trunk." 

"  I  can't,"  she  said,  "  for  I  have  sold  it.  But  I  must 
have  my  trunk.  Won't  you  please  get  it  off  ? "  Un- 
wittingly the  depth  of  her  feeling  was  showing  itself 
in  her  voice. 

"  Why  aren't  you  going  where  you  started  ? "  said 
the  man,  evidently  touched. 

"  Because  I  am  homesick,"  she  blurted  out. 

"  Well,"  said  the  man,  "  if  that  is  the  case  I  guess 
I  will  have  to  let  you  have  your  trunk.  It's  against  the 
rules  and  I  ought  not  to  do  it,  but  if  you  are  homesick — 
that's  a  different  matter." 

But  he  knew  not  with  whom  he  was  dealing.  The 
would-be  missionary  had  recovered  herself. 

"  No,  you  won't,"  she  said.  "  I'll  not  let  you  do  for 
me  anything  you  ought  not  to  do.  I'll  go  and  buy 
back  my  ticket  and  go  on  to  Kansas  City." 

And  she  did. 

She  had  other  struggles  to  face  after  this,  many  of 
them,  but  she  won  out,  and  the  story  of  her  life  victory 
makes  one  feel  that  here  was  a  girl  who  proved  herself 
a  real  heroine. 

You  can  read  the  brief  sketch  of  her  life  in  a  couple 
of  hours,  and  you  will  be  well  repaid  for  the  time  thus 
spent  in  getting  acquainted  with  a  very  human  but 
very  noble  girl.  The  book  is  charmingly  written  in 
brief  breezy  chapters,  so  that  the  interest  does  not 
flag  for  a  moment.  It  is  the  kind  of  book  that  every 
Senior  in  our  school  should  read. 

Here  it  is — The  Days  of  June,  by  Mary  Culler  White. 

(Hold  the  book  up  in  view  of  the  school.) 

Ask  the  Sunday-school  librarian  for  it  after  Sunday- 
school. 


40  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

THIRTEENTH    SUNDAY 
FIELD  LETTER,  ALASKA 

TYPICAL  LETTER  FROM  A  PRESENT-DAY 
HOME  MISSIONARY 

Note.— See  accompanying  letter  in  full  Not  the  entire  letter,  but  only 
extracts  are  presented.  The  method  of  presentation  may  be  applied  to 
other  letters.    Read  chapter  IV,  of  this  volume. 

Leader — We  are  so  glad  to  have  to-day  a  very  interest- 
ing home  missionary  letter  from  Klukwan,  Alaska. 

Miss ,    who    is    Missionary    Correspondence 

Secretary,  will  present  it  to  us  now. 

Miss This  letter  is  just  full  of  interesting 

things,  but  there  is  not  time  to  read  them  all.  I 
must  read,  however,  what  is  said  about  housh-da,  the 
land  otter. 

In  October  a  high-caste  Indian  was  drowned.  Now  drowning 
is  a  death  the  Indian  fears  more  than  anything  else,  as  he  believes 
unless  his  body  is  recovered  he  falls  a  prey  to  the  koush-da  or  land 
otter,  who  changes  him  into  a  koush-da-ka,  a  land  otter  man.  Koush- 
da  keeps  his  captives  very  close  so  that  few  ever  escape  when  once 
taken  by  him,  so  of  course  there  is  no  chance  of  ever  getting  to  the 
"Happy  Hunting  Ground." 

The  friends  of  this  young  man,  therefore,  after  consultation  with 
old  Yehoss,  the  witch-doctor,  to  whom  they  gave  blankets  and 
money  for  his  advice,  spent  long  anxious  weeks  and  much  money  in 
a  vain  search  for  his  body.  In  the  meantime  noises  at  the  doors  or 
windows  of  the  houses,  that  otherwise  would  not  be  noticed,  caused 
excitement  and  alarm  among  the  people,  who  thought  that  the  spirit 
of  the  dead,  or  the  koush-da-ka,  was  seeking  an  entrance. 

A  poor  old  woman  living  alone  in  a  small  log  cabin,  heard  a  noise 
in  the  ghostly  hours  of  the  night  that  sent  her  screaming  through 
the  village  street.  A  careful  investigation  by  the  missionary,  who 
was  among  the  first  to  arrive  on  the  scene,  finally  traced  the  noise 
to  the  loft,  into  which  he  ascended  and  found  an  empty  coal-oil  can 
from  which  the  koush-da-ka  in  the  form  of  a  mouse  was  making  fran- 
tic effort  to  escape. 

The  missionary  goes  on  to  say  that  his  work  is  to 
lead  these  people  out  of  their  ignorant  beliefs  to  a 
knowledge  of  God  and  of  Christ,  to  tell  them  that  the 
spirit  returns  to  God  who  gave  it,  and  that  there  is 
life  and  hope  and  joy  after  death  for  all  who  believe 
in  Christ. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  41 

May  we  not  all  pray  for  the  missionaries  in  their 
work  at  Klukwan? 

Note. — It  is  well  to  encourage  correspondence  with  your  own 
missionary  on  the  field  on  the  part  of  members  of  the  school, 
and  that  member  of  the  Sunday-school  Missionary  Committee 
in  charge  of  "  Field  Correspondence "  should  secure  such  let- 
ters from  officers,  teachers,  and  scholars.  It  should  be  fully 
understood  that  the  missionary  cannot  be  expected  to  send 
individual  replies,  but  a  joint  letter  to  the  school. 


Copy  of  letter  from  Mr.  Falconer,  from  which 
adaptation  has  been  made. 

Klukwan,  Alaska,  December  1,  19... 
Dear  Miss    : 

I  am  reminded  of  my  note  on  the  outside  of  your  letter  of 
October  5,  that  it  is  time  to  get  a  letter  started  on  its  long 
trip  East,  if  you  are  to  receive  it  by  the  middle  of  the  month. 

I  wonder  how  many  of  the  young  people  in  the  States  believe 
In  witches,  witch-doctors,  or  something  perhaps  more  civilized, 
in  ghosts.  Most  of  our  people  believe  in  all  three  of  the  above  ; 
I  think  all  of  them  believe  in  one  or  more,  especially  the  latter. 
In  October  a  high-caste  Indian  was  drowned.  Now  drowning 
is  a  death  the  Indian  fears  more  than  anything  else,  as  he 
believes  unless  his  body  is  recovered,  he  falls  a  prey  to  the 
kou8h-da  or  land  otter,  who  changes  him  into  a  Jcoush-da-ka, 
a  land  otter  man.  Koush-da  keeps  his  captives  very  close  so 
that  few  ever  escape  when  once  taken  by  him,  so  of  course 
there  is  no  chance  of  ever  getting  to  the  "  Happy  Hunting 
Ground." 

The  friends  of  this  young  man,  therefore,  after  consultation 
with  old  Yehoss,  the  witch-doctor,  to  whom  they  gave  blankets 
and  money  for  hi3  advice,  spent  long  anxious  weeks  and  much 
money  in  a  vain  search  for  his  body.  In  the  meantime  noises 
at  the  doors  or  windows  of  the  houses,  that  otherwise  would 
not  be  noticed,  caused  excitement  and  alarm  among  the  people, 
who  thought  that  the  spirit  of  the  dead,  or  the  koush-da-ka, 
was  seeking  an  entrance. 

A  poor  old  woman  living  alone  in  a  small  log  cabin,  heard 
a  noise  in  the  ghostly  hours  of  the  night  that  sent  her 
screaming  through  the  village  street.  A  careful  investigation 
by  the  missionary,  who  was  among  the  first  to  arrive  on  the 
scene,  finally  traced  the  noise  to  the  loft,  into  which  he 
ascended    and    found    an    empty    coal-oil    can,    from    which    the 


42  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

koush-da-ka  In  the  form  of  a  mouse  was  making  frantic  efforts 
to  escape. 

Our  work  is  to  teach  the  people  that  the  sting  of  death  is 
sin,  over  which  we  may  have  the  victory  through  Jesus  Christ ; 
that  the  spirit  returns  to  God  who  gave  it ;  and  that  on  the 
great  resurrection  morning,  when  the  dead  in  Christ  shall 
rise,  it  will  matter  not  how  they  have  died  or  where  they  have 
slept,  as  even  the  sea  will  give  up  the  dead  which  are  in  It. 

The  worst  siege  of  sickness  in  seven  years,  with  no  doctor 
within  reach,  is  making  our  work  unusually  hard  this  winter. 
Three  have  already  died,  while  others  are  not  yet  out  of 
danger.  We  trust  these  times  of  sorrow  and  affliction  will  but 
lead  us  closer  to  him  who  loved  us  and  gave  himself  for  us. 

The  missionary's  wife  bears  her  part  of  the  burden  bravely. 
In  addition  to  her  usual  household  duties  and  the  care  of  a 
sick  husband,  a  short  time  ago,  she  conducted  a  funeral  service 
on  Saturday ;  the  Sunday-school  and  evening  service  on  Sun- 
day ;  and  another  funeral  service  on  Monday. 

We  are  glad  to  know  you  are  interested  in  our  work.  Ear- 
nestly pray,  dear  friends,  that  the  trials  of  these  weeks  may 
work  together  for  our  good,  and  that  the  light  of  the  gospel 
of  Christ  may  soon  shine  in  many  hearts  here,  as  it  does  now 
in  a  few. 

Tours  in  his  service, 

Feed  R.  Falconer. 


SECOND  QUARTER 

FOURTEENTH    SUNDAY 
FIELD  ITEM 

THE   COOKING   STOVE   IN  DAVY'S   HEAD 

A  young  boy  applied  for  admission  to  a  college  in 
the  South.  He  had  been  prepared  by  a  former  stu- 
dent, and  was  able  to  enter  the  freshman  class.  He 
brought  with  him  a  supply  of  provisions,  rented  a 
room,  and  did  his  own  cooking.  For  months  he  worked 
and  studied,  making  rapid  progress.  One  day  the 
president  met  him  and  found  that  he  was  greatly 
distressed. 

As  soon  as  he  could  control  himself,  he  said,  "  I  must 
go  home ;  it  is  time  to  be  at  work  with  the  crop,  it  has 
rained  so  much,  and  I  am  needed." 

The  president  reasoned  with  him,  and  tried  to  show 
him  the  folly  of  giving  up  his  studies  at  that  time. 

He  broke  down  completely,  and,  sobbing  as  if  his 
heart  were  broken,  said :  "  I  can't  study ;  when  I  take 
up  my  book.  I  see  on  every  page  my  mother  with  a  hoe 
in  her  hand,  working  like  a  slave  to  keep  me  in  school. 
I'd  rather  not  be  educated  than  be  compelled  to  look  at 
that  picture." 

In  all  probability  the  boy  had  written  home,  stating 
that  he  expected  to  leave  college  that  day,  for  at  this 
juncture  his  mother  appeared. 

Mother-fashion  she  drew  him  into  her  arms,  and  said, 
"  Davy,  my  boy,  would  you  break  mammy's  heart  ? 
Stay!  Mammy  will  work  for  her  baby,  and  will  never 
stop  until  you  say,  '  Mammy,  here  is  my  'ploma.' " 

A  friend  called  to  see  the  parents  of  Dave  at  their 
43 


44  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

humble  mountain  home.     It  was  the  month  of  July, 
and  the  mother  was  cooking  at  the  fireplace. 

"  Mrs.  Green,  you  ought  to  have  a  cooking-stove," 
was  the  comment  of  the  visitor. 

"  I  had  one,  but  I  put  it  in  Davy's  head,"  was  the 
only  reply. 

That  mother  had  sold  the  stove  in  order  to  keep 
her  boy  at  school.  She  cannot  read,  but  she  was  deter- 
mined that  her  boy  should  have  an  education.  At  his 
graduation  she  was  happier  than  a  queen,  for  she  saw 
her  boy  receive  his  diploma,  and  also  carry  off  second 
honors  in  his  class. 

I  think  that  it  must  somewhere  be  written,  "  Blessed 
are  the  mothers  who  make  a  way  for  their  boys  to 
ascend,  for  their  reward  is  great  both  here  and  here- 
after." 

Adapted  from  Guernsey,  Under  our  Flag. 


FIFTEENTH   SUNDAY 

FIRST  OF  FOUR  CONSECUTIVE  PRESENTATIONS 
ON  GIVING 

HOW     THE     NATIVE     CHRISTIANS     GIVE— 

ILLUSTKATIONS  FKOM  AFKICA,  ALASKA, 

AND  CHINA 

Leader — We  have  spent  some  months  in  presenting 
missionary  information  to  our  school  in  various  ways, 
from  Sunday  to  Sunday.  Because  of  this  increased 
knowledge  of  the  work  at  home  and  abroad  our  interest 
is  deepening.  This  interest,  we  trust,  will  express  it- 
self very  definitely  in  the  giving  of  money,  of  service, 
and  of  life  to  the  cause  of  extending  Christ's  kingdom 
— that  is,  Missions. 

For  the  next  few  Sundays,  therefore,  we  shall  con- 
sider briefly  this  question  of  giving.  To-day  and  next 
Sunday,  several  members  of  our  school  will  give  in- 
cidents fresh  from  the  mission  field,  telling  how  the 
native  Christians  in  various  lands  give.  You  will  see 
that  they  set  us  a  high  standard  and  call  us  to  real 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  45 

sacrifice,  if  we  follow  their  example.  We  shall  first 
hear  two  messages  from  Africa  which  are  in  the  words 
of  the  missionaries  themselves. 

Note. — It  is  suggested  that  the  following  items  be  given  by 
different  members  of  the  school  in  quick  succession,  rising  in 
their  classes  and  speaking  clearly  and  distinctly.  If  desired, 
all  may  in  advance  come  to  the  platform  and  from  there 
rapidly  present  their  items.  If  time  does  not  permit  the  use  of 
all  the  items,  selections  may  be  made  in  advance.  The  items 
should  be  copied  from  this  book  and  given  a  week  in  advance 
to  those  who  will  present  them.  Some  of  the  brief  items  may 
be  read,  those  in  story  form  should  be  told. 

First  PupU — I  have  seen  a  woman  give  the  food 
she  needed  to  eat. 

I  have  seen  a  schoolboy  give  the  only  dish  he  pos- 
sessed. 

One  of  our  Christian  women  worries,  not  for  lack 
of  necessities  for  herself,  but  her  anxiety  is  great  if 
she  has  not  her  pledged  contribution.* 

Second  Pupil — At  a  morning  offering  not  long  ago 
a  congregation  gave  fifty-six  dollars.  Persons  have 
taken  off  ornaments  from  hair,  neck,  wrist,  ankles,  and 
cast  them  into  the  contribution  baskets.  Young  men 
have  given  one  tenth  of  their  modest  monthly  incomes, 
and  poor  widows  their  mites.  When  I  have  asked  na- 
tives if  they  really  believed  that  it  is  more  blessed  to 
give  than  to  receive,  they  have  said,  "  Yes,"  and  "  We 
used  to  think,  before  we  knew  God,  that  it  was  more 
blessed  to  receive  than  to  give,  but  we  feel  the  other 
way  now."  f 

Leader — We  shall  now  hear  from  Alaska. 

Third  Pupil — When  Kotseek,  the  Chilcat,  was  young, 
his  tribe  went  to  war  with  others.  A  cap  was 
made  by  his  wife  from  the  skin  of  a  mountain  goat 
with  a  small  tuft  of  eagle  feathers,  thus  representing 
strength  and  swiftness.  A  shirt  representing  the  Ha- 
ven, the  emblem  of  this  tribe,  was  made,  and  the  blanket 

*  Reported  by  Mrs.  C.  W.  McCleary  of  Batanga,  Kamerun, 
West  Africa. 

t  Reported  by  the  Rev.  Melvin  Fraser,  also  of  Batanga, 
Kamerun,  West  Africa. 


46  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

and  trimming,  which  were  secured  in  exchange  for  ten 
marten  skins.  After  this  war,  another  broke  out  be- 
tween the  Raven  and  Whale  Clans.  According  to  cus- 
tom, this  war  must  continue  until  both  sides  had  suf- 
fered equally  in  dead  and  wounded.  Kotseek  was 
severely  wounded,  and  deformed  for  the  rest  of  his 
life;  but  because  the  Whale  Clan  had  suffered  a  loss 
which  required  the  death  of  a  Raven  before  peace  could 
be  restored,  Kotseek  offered  himself  for  the  sacrifice. 
The  warrior's  costume  was  again  brought  out,  and  with 
this  and  the  cap  on  his  head  he  went  out  to  die;  but 
God's  hand  protected  him,  and  later  he  learned  of  the 
love  of  Jesus. 

Recently  he  decided  to  part  with  these  things  which 
were  so  precious  to  him,  and  offered  them  to  the  mis- 
sionary to  be  sold  that  the  money  might  be  used  in 
sending  the  gospel  to  others  who  do  not  know  of  Jesus. 
We  can  hardly  understand  this  kind  of  a  sacrifice,  for 
it  really  meant  the  parting  with  the  last  connections 
with  his  old  life,  and  giving  up  the  custom  of  years, — 
that  of  having  all  of  these  relics  buried  with  the 
warrior.* 

Leader — Now  we  shall  hear  three  messages  from 
China. 

Fourth  Pupil — An  old  woman  who  has  to  make  her 
own  living  and  earns  but  one  dollar  per  month  above 
her  board  gives  two  dollars  a  year  to  the  Lord's  work, 
and  is  generally  the  first  to  pay  up. 

Many  Christians  refuse  good  situations  and  work 
for  less  salary,  simply  because  the  paying  position 
would  hinder  their  religious  life,  f 

Fifth  Pupil — The  poor  boys  of  Peking  University 
take  their  breakfast  later  on  Sunday  and  their  supper 
earlier,  giving  the  money  that  should  go  for  their  din- 
ner into  the  Sunday  collections.  I  have  known  many 
of  the  boys  to  give  their  dinners  for  a  month,  others 

*  From  an  Alaskan  Field  Letter  from  the  Rev.  Fred  R. 
Falconer. 

t  Reported  by  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Shoemaker  of  Yu-Yaio,  China. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  47 

who  gave  their  dinners  for  two  weeks  to  the  missionary 
collection. 

An  old  woman  who  mended  the  clothes  of  the  stu- 
dents, getting  fifty  cents  a  month  for  it,  gave  one 
month's  wages  for  the  missionary  collection. 

When  the  Chinese  Christians  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  were  asked  by  Bishop  Bashford  to 
subscribe  on  an  average  of  one  dollar  Mexican  each,  for 
a  thank  offering,  they  subscribed  on  an  average  of  one 
dollar  gold,— twice  what  they  were  asked.* 

Sixth  Pupil— For  the  year  1907  the  native  Chris- 
tians of  the  Ko-Chau  field  averaged  two  dollars  and 
ninety-eight  cents  per  member  for  the  gospel.  This  is 
equivalent  to  a  man's  board  for  one  month. 

Lau  Taat-sam,  an  elder  of  the  Shui-Tung  church, 
leaves  his  business  and  gives  ten  days  or  more  every 
quarter  to  itineration  with  me  on  church  session  work 
at  his  own  expense. 

Ching  Mong-cho  saved  enough  in  California  to  re- 
turn to  Canton  and  pay  his  way  through  the  theological 
course.  He  is  to-day  preaching  for  the  equivalent  of 
four  dollars  and  fifty  cents  United  States  currency  per 
month.t 

Leader— Next  Sunday  we  shall  have  some  further 
testimony  from  other  lands. 

SIXTEENTH   SUNDAY 

SECOND  OF  FOUR  CONSECUTIVE  PRESENTATIONS 
ON  GIVING 

HOW  THE  NATIVE  CHRISTIANS  GIVE— 
ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  INDIA,  LAOS, 
SOUTHERN  MOUNTAINEERS  IN  NORTH 
AMERICA,  AND  EROM  KOREA. 

Leader— Last  Sunday  we  heard  how  some  of  the  na- 
tive   Christians   in   Africa,   Alaska,    and   China   give. 

*  Reported  by  the  Rev.  Isaac  Taylor  Headland  of  Peking, 
ChtnReported  by  the  Rev.  C.  E.  Patton  of  Ko-Chau,  China. 


48  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

To-day  we  are  to  hear  from  some  other  lands, — In- 
dia, Laos,  the  southern  mountains  in  North  America, 
and  from  Korea.  If  there  were  time,  we  might  hear 
from  other  lands  as  well,  but  we  are  limited,  and  so 
these  incidents  must  suffice.  We  shall  hear  first  how 
some  Hindu  Christians  give. 

Note. — The  following  items  should  be  presented  by  different 
members  of  the  school  in  rapid  succession.  They  may  rise  in 
their  places,  or  all  coming  in  advance  to  the  platform,  they 
may  in  turn  give  the  items  from  there.  If  time  does  not  permit 
the  use  of  all  of  the  items,  selections  may  be  made  in  advance. 
The  items  should  be  copied  from  this  book  and  given  a  week 
in  advance  to  those  who  will  present  them.  Some  of  the  brief 
items  may  be  read ;  those  in  story  form  should  be  told. 

First  Pupil — At  a  missionary  meeting  in  India  one 
of  the  native  Christians  rose  and  said :  "  I  have  no 
money  that  I  can  give,  but  I  have  a  new  milch  cow;  I 
will  spare  one  third  of  all  the  milk  she  gives  until  she 
goes  dry,  if  any  one  will  agree  to  take  it  daily,  and  put 
the  value  in  money  in  the  missionary  collection."  The 
milk  was  at  once  bespoken,  and  that  cow  gave  milk 
well  and  long  that  year. 

A  widow  woman  took  off  her  choicest  "  toe-ring " 
(for  they  use  them  there  as  much  as  finger-rings),  and 
put  it  in  the  contribution-box.  It  was  purchased  for 
half  a  dollar,  and  that  sum  went  into  the  box  as  the 
widow's  gift.  * 

Leader — We  shall  now  hear  from  Laos. 

Second  Pupil — The  Laos  have  been  collecting  money 
and  second-hand  clothing  for  Adana  and  Tarsus. 
About  three  hundred  pieces  or  so  of  clothing  have  been 
given  in  this  poor  town  of  Talas. 

A  cook  gave  her  whole  month's  wages,  though  she 
was  very  poor. 

A  poor  washerwoman,  though  having  two  depend- 
ing upon  her,  gave  a  week's  wages. 

One  wretchedly  poor  man,  a  hunchback  with  three 
dependent  upon  him,  gave  a  whole  day's  earnings, 
which  was  a  very  large  sum  for  him. 

*  Reported  by  the  late  Jacob  Chamberlain,  D.D. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  49 

A  mother  sold  some  flour  in  the  home  to  be  able  to 
add  her  mite.* 

Leader— Let  us  learn  now  what  some  of  the  girls  in 
North  Carolina  did  in  order  to  give  to  missions. 

Third  Pupil— One  of  the  oldest  schools  under  one 
of  the  Women's  Boards  of  Home  Missions  in  the 
United  States  is  located  at  Concord,  North  Carolina. 
It  is  a  school  for  girls  in  the  mountains  of  the  feouth 
who  are  taught  everything  that  will  develop  their  Chris- 
tian womanhood.  Every  year  there  is  a  season  of  self- 
denial  for  the  sake  of  some  need  in  the  foreign  mis- 
sion field.  The  following  statement  from  one  of  the 
teachers  gives  but  a  slight  glimpse  of  the  enthusiasm 
which  these  girls  have  shown  for  the  famine  relief  in 
China. 

"Down  in  the  basement  (our  make-believe  gym- 
nasium) I  have  just  left  an  enthusiastic  group  of  girls 
putting  the  finishing  touches  on  *  the  quilt  for  China,'— 
that,  at  least  is  what  it  means  to  the  quilters  and  to 
those  who  pieced  the  '  nine  patches,'  though,  of  course, 
no  one  thinks  of  its  actually  making  that  long  jour- 
ney; all  are  eager,  however,  to  see  its  worth  trans- 
muted into  life-saving  bread  for  the  starving  Chinese. 
In  this  enthusiasm  the  pieces  overshot  the  mark,  leav- 
ing a  generous  surplus  of  '  blocks,'  and  hence  a  second 
quilt  is  planned;  nor  is  this  the  only  vent  given  to  their 
zeal.  The  creak  of  ice-cream  freezer  and  the  odor  of 
taffy  tell  their  tale  of  helping  swell  the  relief  fund. 
Self-denial  money  is  coming  on  a  generous  scale,  too. 
One  girl,  who  has  been  penniless  for  weeks,  begged  the 
privilege  of  washing  for  a  teacher  this  week,  and  gave 
the  money  as  her  contribution.  Another  having  com- 
pleted a  tedious  piece  of  needlework,  for  which  she  re- 
ceived a  dollar,  brought  the  whole  of  it;  and  that  each 
might  have  a  share  in  the  giving,  there  was  a  unan- 
imous vote  to  go  lunchless  two  days  of  the  week.  There 
was    evident    disappointment    when    this    request    was 

♦  Reported  by  Mrs.  Mary  Carter  Dodd  of  Talas,  Asia  Minor, 
Turkey. 


50  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

granted  only  in  a  modified  way.     There  is  a  readiness 
to  do,  which  is  touching  and  beautiful."  * 

Leader — Elsewhere  also  the  native  Christians  have 
learned  the  joy  of  giving  that  conies  through  sacri- 
fice. We  shall  hear  now  of  three  brothers  in  Korea, 
and  also  of  some  others  in  that  land. 

Fourth  Pupil — Three  brothers  sold  their  entire  rice 
crop  and  lived  for  a  year  on  millet,  a  low  coarse  food, 
that  they  might  give  it  to  a  Korean  missionary. 

Many  women  have  given  their  wedding-rings,  or 
have  cut  their  hair  off  to  sell  for  the  cause  of  Christ. 

Many  poor  people  go  with  one  less  meal  a  day  that 
they  may  be  able  to  give. 

The  Chai  Ryung  city  church,  besides  supporting  a 
local  pastor  and  all  the  local  work,  support  a  home 
missionary  who  costs  more  than  their  local  pastor. 
They  are  planning  to  support  another  missionary  very 
soon.f 

Fifth  Pupil — Korean  men  have  been  known  to 
mortgage  their  houses  that  mortgages  might  be  re- 
moved from  the  houses  of  God,  to  sell  their  crops  of 
good  rice  intended  for  family  consumption,  purchasing 
inferior  millet  to  live  on  during  the  winter,  and  giving 
the  difference  in  cost  for  the  support  of  workers  to 
preach  among  their  own  countrymen.  Korean  women 
have  given  their  wedding-rings  and  even  cut  off  their 
hair  that  it  might  be  sold  and  the  amount  devoted  to 
the  spread  of  the  gospel. $ 

Sixth  Pupil — At  the  time  the  Korean  Christians 
in  Pyeng  Yang  were  building  Central  Church,  there 
was  a  woman  in  a  country  village  who  was  driven  out 
of  her  home  by  her  husband  because  she  was  a  Chris- 
tian. That  was  a  frequent  occurrence  in  Korea  a  few 
years  ago.  She  took  her  two  little  children  and  came 
to  Pyeng  Yang.     For  a  year  she  was  either  cared  for 

*  Prom  a  letter  from  Miss  Montgomery  of  the  Laura  Sunder- 
land  School,    Concord,    N.    C. 

t  Reported  hy  the  Rev.  William  B.  Hunt  of  Chai  Ryung,  Korea. 
X  Reported  by  the  Rev.  George  Heber  Jones. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  51 

in  the  homes  of  the  Christians,  or  was  given  work  by 
Christian  Koreans  so  that  she  might  support  herself 
and  her  children. 

During  the  period  of  this  woman's  direst  poverty, 
she  had  a  great  longing  to  help  in  the  erection  of  Cen- 
tral Church.  Week  after  week,  as  she  was  able,  she 
laid  aside  one  "  cash  "  (one  tenth  of  a  cent)  at  a  time, 
until  she  had  saved  one  hundred  of  these  coins,  which 
6he  gave  to  the  church.  It  had  taken  her  an  entire 
year  to  save  this  amount,  and  the  total  value  of  the 
coins  was  only  ten  cents.  But  the  story  was  related 
many  times,  and  her  heroic  self-sacrifice  greatly  en- 
couraged others  to  assist  in  the  erection  of  the  build- 
ing.* 

Seventh  Pupil — Pai  Ni-il  was  a  Christian,  the  first 
one  in  his  village.  The  gospel  meant  much  to  him, 
so  he  told  it  to  others.  Inquirers  came  to  his  house, 
the  room  got  too  small,  and  they  needed  a  larger  one. 
The  little  band  of  Christians  won  by  Pai  Ni-il  decided 
to  build  a  church.  Everybody  contributed  as  much  as 
he  possibly  could,  but  when  the  building  was  completed, 
there  hung  over  it  a  debt.  This  was  a  cause  of  sor- 
row to  Pai  Ni-il  and  his  fellow  Christians.  What 
could  be  done?  Pai  Ni-il  thought  and  prayed  about 
it,  and  then  he  made  a  great  resolve. 

One  morning  he  was  seen  leaving  his  home  for  the 
market,  driving  his  only  ox  with  which  he  plowed  his 
field.  When  he  came  back,  Pai  Ni-il  was  alone,  but 
he  had  with  him  the  price  of  the  ox.  This  money  he 
took  and  paid  the  debt  on  the  church.  Some  weeks 
later  the  missionary  was  in  the  region  of  Pai  Ni-iPs 
home.  He  went  to  the  house  and  was  told  that  Pai 
Ni-il  was  down  in  the  field  plowing.  When  the  mis- 
sionary reached  the  field,  he  saw  Pai  Ni-il's  old  father 
with  his  hands  upon  the  handles  of  the  plow,  guiding 
it.  In  the  furrow  hitched  to  the  traces  where  the  ox 
should  have  been,  were  Pai  Ni-il  and  his  brother.  They 
were  pulling  the  plow  themselves  that  spring. 

It  seemed  to  the  missionary,  as  if  hitched  with  them 

*  From  M  Korea  for  Christ,"  by  G.  T.  B.  Davis. 


52  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

was  One  who  years  ago  had  been  with  three  of  his  fol- 
lowers in  Babylon  in  the  fiery  furnace,  One  like  unto 
the  Son  of  Man .* 


SEVENTEENTH   SUNDAY 

THIRD    OF  FOUR    CONSECUTIVE    PRESENTATIONS 
ON  GIVING 

WHY  I  SHOULD  GIVE  TO  MISSIONS— SEVEN 
WORD  PICTURES 

Leader — For  two  Sundays  we  have  heard  how  the 
native  Christians  in  various  countries  give — even  to 
the  point  of  sacrifice. 

To-day  I  want  you  to  face  another  question:  Why 
we  should  give  to  missions.  I  want  you  to  look  at  a 
few  pictures,  word-pictures,  that  I  trust  will  make  it 
clear  why  we  should  invest  in  missions.  Those  pic- 
tures will  be  given  us  by  different  members  of  our 
school.  The  first  two  show  the  need  of  childhood,  the 
next  three  the  need  of  womanhood,  and  the  last  two 
the  need  for  Christ's  peace. 

Note.— It  is  suggested  that  some  of  the  teachers  or  older  members  of 
the  school  present  these  items,  which  should  be  copied  from  this  book  and 
given  to  them  a  week  in  advance. 

First  Picture 

If  you  should  see  two  bright  little  children  thrown 
out  on  a  rubbish  pile  to  perish,  would  you  think  it 
worth  while  to  save  them?  Two  such  children  were 
found  on  a  rubbish  heap  in  India  by  missionaries,  who 
rescued  them  and  brought  them  to  the  mission  station 
and  cared  for  them. 

Second  Picture 

Two  children  out  of  every  three  in  all  the  world 
look  into  the  faces  of  mothers  who  cannot  tell  them 
the  story  of  Jesus  because  they  do  not  know  it  them- 
selves. 

Down  in  New  Mexico,  San  Antonio  is  the  patron 

*  Adapted  from  Gale,  Korea  in  Transition. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  53 

saint  in  a  certain  town.  The  image  of  the  saint  is 
taken  from  the  Koman  Catholic  Church  and  carried 
around  town,  crowds  following  to  the  beating  of  a 
drum.  There  is  a  feast  which  includes  gambling, 
drunkenness,  and  a  ball.  In  all  of  these  even  the  small- 
est children  have  a  share. 

Such  conditions  need  remedying.  We  should 
give  to  Missions  because  Jesus  said:  "  Suffer  the 
little  children,  and  forbid  them  not,  to  come 
unto  me;  for  to  such  belongeth  the  kingdom  of 
heaven." 

Third  Picture 

In  many  Mohammedan  lands  women  are  considered 
little  better  than  beasts,  and  to  be  without  brains. 
Until  the  missionaries  established  them,  there  was  not 
a  single  school  for  girls  in  the  Orient.  It  has  not  been 
an  uncommon  sight  to  see  a  woman  harnessed  with  a 
donkey  to  a  plow  and  both  driven  together  by  a  man. 

Fourth  Picture 

The  custom  of  buying  wives  is  quite  common  among 
primitive  people.  In  New  Guinea  one  chief  boasted 
proudly  that  his  wife  had  cost  him  ten  arm  shells,  three 
pearl  shells,  two  strings  of  dogs'  teeth,  several  hun- 
dreds of  coconuts,  a  large  number  of  yams,  and  two 
pigs. 

Fifth  Picture 

About  seventy-five  miles  from  Sitka  is  Killisnoo,  one 
of  the  worst  native  villages  in  southeastern  Alaska. 
Here  two  girls,  who  had  formerly  been  in  the  Christian 
school  at  Sitka,  were  being  offered  for  sale  at  fifty  dol- 
lars apiece  by  their  mothers. 

Such  conditions  need  remedying.  We  should 
give  to  Missions  because  Jesus  said:  "  Come  un- 
to me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest." 

Sixth  Picture 

Kaymead  Das  was  a  so-called  holy  man  in  India. 
He  sought  peace  through  physical  pain,  and  so  for  thir- 


54  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

teen  years  he  sat  upon  a  bed  of  spikes,  in  a  vain  effort 
to  find  it.  He  is  just  a  type  of  thousands  who  are 
hungering  for  God  in  India  and  all  over  the  non- 
Christian  world. 

Seventh  Picture 

Eastern  religions  are  finding  their  way  to  England 
and  America.  In  the  United  States  and  Canada 
Buddhist  and  Hindu  temples  are  growing  in  number. 
There  are  also  many  other  religious  cults,  the  devotees 
of  which  are  seeking  to  find  peace. 

These  conditions  need  remedying.  We  should 
give  to  Missions  because  Jesus  said: "  I  have 
spoken  unto  you,  that  in  me  ye  may  have 
peace."    "  My  peace  I  give  unto  you." 

EIGHTEENTH    SUNDAY 

FOURTH  OF  FOUR  CONSECUTIVE  PRESENTATIONS 
ON  GIVING 

KINGDOM  DAY— SUBSCKIPTION  PLEDGES  TO 
MISSIONS 

Leader — Last    Sunday   we   had   some   word-pictures 

presented  to  us  which  showed  "  Why  we  should  give  to 

Missions."     To-day,  before  we  make  pledges  of  what 

we  will  give  for  the  coming  year,  we  shall  have  some 

statements  as  to  what  the  missionary  dollar  will  do  on 

the  mission  field. 

Note. — The  following  ten  statements  should  be  copied  and 
given  a  week  In  advance  to  ten  pupils  who  will  give  them  in 
quick  succession  from   the   platform. 

The  First  Ten  Cents 
will  help  send  out  new  missionaries  this  year  to  preach 
the  gospel. 

The  Second  Ten  Cents 
will   send   our  missionary  boats   on   their   errands   of 
peace  in  the  dark  and  needy  places. 

Note. — Insert  the  names  of  the  countries  in  which  your 
Home  and  Foreign  Missions  Boards  have  little  Mission  boats  or 
steamers. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  55 

The  Third  Ten  Cents 
will  go  to  the  rescue  of  helpless  little  children  from 
slavery,  sin,  and  death. 

The  Fourth  Ten  Cents 
will  help  secure,  build,  or  repair  mission  property. 

The  Fifth  Ten  Cents 
will  help  educate  a  girl  or  boy  in  a  Christian  school. 

The  Sixth  Ten  Cents 
will  help  provide  the  support  of  a  native  worker. 

The  Seventh  Ten  Cents 
will  help  minister  to  the  sick,  providing  doctors,  nurses, 
and  medicine ;  and  preach  to  the  soul  while  healing  the 
body. 

The  Eighth  Ten  Cents 
will  help  to  pay  a  missionary's  salary. 

The  Ninth  Ten  Cents 
will  help  translate  and  print  tracts  and  other  Christian 
literature. 

The  Tenth  Ten  Cents* 

Three  tenths  of  it  will  help  send  books  and  pictures 
and  missionary  boxes  to  needy  peoples. 

Seven  cents  out  of  a  dollar  will  collect  and  carry  the 
other  ninety-three  cents  to  the  uttermost  part  of  the 
earth  and  report  what  they  have  done. 

Note. — Care  must  be  taken  not  to  give  the  impression  that 
a  Mission  Board  can  or  would  divide  up  every  dollar  contributed 
in  the  manner  above  suggested.  It  is  merely  a  general  state- 
ment as  to  the  possible  phases  of  work  to  which  missionary 
money  may  be  applied.  It  makes  clear  that  a  dollar  con- 
tributed to  the  General  Fund  of  the  Board,  or  on  the  Station 
Plan  is  actually  supporting  many  different  kinds  of  work. 

Leader — We  have  just  heard  what  the  missionary 
dollar  will  do.  I  think  it  would  be  splendid  if  every 
member  of  our  Sunday-school  could  invest  at  least  one 

*  The  average  cost  for  administration  expenses  of  the  various 
mission  boards  Is  about  7  per  cent.     It  may  vary  more  or  less. 


56  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

dollar  a  year  in  the  cause  of  missions.  Perhaps  all 
of  you  do  not  have  as  much  as  a  dollar  in  your  pockets 
to-day,  but  most  of  you  could  easily  secure  a  dollar 
and  more,  in  fifty-two  weeks.  I  am  going  to  ask  you, 
therefore,  to  take  your  missionary  pledge  cards  which 
the  teachers  have  in  their  hands,  and  to  make  your 
missionary  pledges  for  the  coming  year.  Most  of  us 
can  set  at  least  one  dollar  to  work  in  the  mission  field, 
by  contributing  two  cents  a  week  for  a  year.  Many 
of  us  can  do  much  more  than  that,  and  I  hope  we 
will.  Some  of  us  can  have  not  merely  a  single  dollar, 
but  a  number  of  dollars  working  for  us  all  the  year 
at  home  and  abroad. 

Please  take  the  cards  now  and  indicate  how  much 
you  will  give  per  week,  sign  your  name,  and  give  the 
card  to  your  teacher. 

If  you  are  not  ready  to  sign  the  card  to-day,  take 
it  home  and  talk  it  over  with  your  parents,  and  bring 
back  the  card  signed  next  Sunday. 

Note. — Secure  pledge  cards  and  envelopes  by  communication 
with  your  denominational  Mission  Boards.  As  these  are  pre- 
pared largely  for  use  in  the  churches,  they  may  need  to  be 
adapted  for  Sunday-school  use  locally. 

NINETEENTH    SUNDAY 

RECRUITING  FOR  SERVICE  BY  A  FIELD  ITEM 

A  GIFT   OF  DAYS 

Leader — Last  Sunday  we  had  an  opportunity  to  make 
our  annual  pledges  for  benevolences.  I  am  glad  that 
so  many  of  the  members  of  our  school  are  thus  con- 
tributing, and  I  hope  that  all  will  do  so. 

There  is  something  else  we  can  give  God  besides 
money. 

u  I  beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the 
mercies  of  God,  to  present  your  bodies  a  living 
sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  to  God,  which  is 
your  spiritual  service." 

In  fact,  God  wants  our  hearts  and  our  lives  more 
than  our  money.     Sometimes  money  is  the  cheapest 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  57 

thing  we  can  give.  Most  of  us  bring  an  offering  to 
Sunday-school  each  Sunday,  but  in  addition  to  that 
God  wants  our  personal  service  on  Sunday  and  all  dur- 
ing the  week. 

Most  of  us,  probably,  have  heard  of  the  wonderful 
growth  of  the  Church  in  Korea.  The  secret  of  it  is 
that  the  Christians  are  tremendously  in  earnest.  They 
give  not  only  large  sums  of  money  for  the  spread  of  the 
gospel,  but  they  engage  in  personal  work  themselves. 
It  is  a  common  thing  at  conferences  and  prayer-meet- 
ings for  the  Christians  to  pledge  so  many  days'  service. 
They  go  out  at  their  own  expense  and  testify  for  Christ. 
It  may  mean  shutting  up  their  place  of  business  for 
days  while  they  are  gone,  but  they  gladly  make  this 
sacrifice. 

At  the  early  morning  prayer-meetings  which  were 
held  in  one  of  the  churches  in  Pyeng  Yang  recently,  the 
total  number  of  days  that  were  pledged  by  the  Chris- 
tians was  more  than  three  thousand,  or  nearly  nine 
years'  continuous  work  for  one  man.  "During  the 
first  three  months  of  the  year  1910  an  aggregate  of 
fully  seventy-five  thousand  days  was  subscribed,  mak- 
ing a  total  of  two  hundred  and  five  years  of  service. 
This  is  the  equivalent  of  five  men  preaching  the  gospel 
continuously  in  Korea  for  forty-one  years  each."  * 

Now  1  urge  upon  you  all  the  doing  this  week 
some  such  service  as 

Note. — The  Leader  should  now  indicate  some  definite  activity 
in  which  the  members  of  the  school  may  engage,  such  as  visit- 
ing sick  pupils,  absentees,  recruiting  new  members,  or  some 
other  form  of  service  requiring  an  actual  expenditure  of  time 
and  effort. 

TWENTIETH    SUNDAY 
RECRUITING  FOR  SERVICE  BY  A  FIELD  ITEM 

A  BOY  FOLLOWS  HIS  DOLLAE  TO  THE  MIS- 
SION FIELD 

Note. — This  item  should  be  read  distinctly  and  with  feeling. 

The  following  is  the  testimony  of  a  young  mission- 
ary who  recently  went  to  India : 
*  Davis ,  Korea  for  Christ. 


58  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

"  When  I  was  a  little  fellow  about  nine  years  old, 
there  was  a  great  famine  in  India.  The  minister  told 
us  in  church  that  there  were  thousands  of  people  dy- 
ing over  there,  and  that  one  dollar  would  save  one  per- 
son's life.  Then  I  saw  pictures  in  the  papers  and 
magazines  of  people  who  were  starving.  They  were  so 
thin,  like  skeletons,  and  their  eyes  were  sunken.  And 
I  wondered  how  I  should  feel  to  have  no  breakfast,  and 
no  dinner,  and  no  supper,  and  none  the  next  day,  nor 
the  next.  I  thought  about  my  dollar,  that  would  save 
one  life.  But  I  thought  I  could  not  spare  that  dollar. 
I  had  worked  hard  for  it,  worked  in  the  hayfield,  and 
earned  one  dollar  and  fifty-five  cents.  Oh  no,  I  could 
not  spare  a  whole  dollar.  Then  I  thought  about  the 
people  who  were  dying  and  I  could  not  stand  it  any 
longer.  I  had  an  awful  fight,  but  I  gave  up  that  dol- 
lar.    I  sent  it  to  save  somebody's  life. 

"  But  that  dollar  was  my  treasure,  it  was  so  much 
to  me  that  when  it  went  to  India,  my  heart  went  with 
it.  I  thought  about  it  all  the  time.  I  wondered  what 
kind  of  a  person  it  was  whose  life  I  had  saved.  I  read 
everything  I  could  find  about  India.  All  the  time  I 
was  in  school  and  in  college  I  was  interested  in  India. 
Then  they  told  us  in  college  that  in  India  thousands 
of  people  were  dying  without  knowing  of  Jesus,  the 
Bread  of  Life,  and  they  were  hungry  for  him.  And  I 
felt  just  as  I  did  when  I  heard  of  the  famine.  I  wanted 
to  go  feed  them.  I  wanted  to  tell  them  about  Jesus, 
So  now  I  am  going  to  follow  my  dollar,  I  give  my 
life  to  India.  I  want  to  carry  the  Bread  of  Life  to 
those  people."  * 

Leader — Girls  and  boys,  I  am  glad  for  the  invest- 
ments of  money  that  many  of  you  are  making  week 
by  week  to  the  cause  of  missions.  Follow  these  gifts 
with  your  prayers,  and  ask  God  if  he  can  use  your  life 
in  any  place  on  the  mission  field  to  which  your  gifts 
are  going.  That  will  be  the  choicest  gift  you  can  make 
— your  life  to  missionary  service. 

Our  pastor  will  be  glad  to  confer  with  any  of  you 

*  From  Letter  published  in  Over  Sea  and  Land. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  59 

who  are  facing  the  question  of  what  to  do  with  your 
life,  where  you  can  place  it  most  advantageously  for 
the  kingdom  of  God. 

TWENTY-FIRST  SUNDAY 

FIELD  ITEM 

THE  ROMANTIC  STORY  OF  THE  FIRST  FOR- 
EIGN MISSIONARIES  OF  THE 
KOREAN  CHURCH 

Note.— The  following  pictures  should  be  presented  by  three 
older  Intermediate  or  Senior  members  of  the  school.  It  will 
be  more  effective  if  they  stand  together  on  the  platform  and 
tell  the  story  consecutively. 

First  Picture 

In  the  year  1894  a  missionary  was  walking  along 
the  streets  of  Pyeng  Yang,  Korea,  to  the  inn  where  he 
was  staying.  People  stared  at  him  as  he  walked,  but 
no  face  among  the  hundreds  he  saw  showed  any  signs 
of  friendship  or  interest.  Several  young  men  were  fol- 
lowing him,  and  some  were  servants  from  the  Gov- 
ernor's quarters.  One  young  man,  to  show  how  smart 
he  was/picked  up  a  rock  and  heaved  it  at  the  mis- 
sionary. The  aim  was  poor  so  no  harm  was  done;  but 
had  the  rock  struck  home  there  would  have  been  no 
sympathy  for  the  "  foreign  devil "  in  the  hearts  of  the 
Koreans  who  looked  on.  The  missionary  paid  no  at- 
tention to  the  crowd  or  the  rock.  Soon  the  inn  was 
reached  and  the  young  men  dispersed,  laughing,  no 
doubt,  over  how  they  had  rocked  the  foreigner.  The 
young  man  who  threw  the  rock  was  named  Yi  Ki-pung. 

Second  Picture 

In  1897  a  young  Korean  and  his  wife  were  bap- 
tized in  a  little  town  south  of  Pyeng  Yang.  The  man 
soon  died  and  the  young  widow,  hardly  more  than  a 
schoolgirl,  went  back  to  her  parents,  who  lived  in  the 
mountains  of  Kok  San.  The  parents  were  heathen, 
and  when  the  young  widow  came  home,  they  saw  an 
opportunity  to  make  a  few  dollars,  so  they  sold  her. 


60  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

This  was  an  unbearable  fate  for  the  young  widow,  so 
she  tried  to  escape  by  fleeing.  She  was  unable  to  go 
far,  for  tracers  were  sent  out  and  she  was  soon  found 
and  brought  back.  Here  the  poor  girl  had  to  live  until 
deliverance  came  from  an  unexpected  quarter.  One 
day  her  master  was  taken  sick,  and  his  brother,  afraid 
he  might  die,  took  the  young  woman,  brought  her  to  a 
Christian  church,  and  asked  the  man  in  charge  to  keep 
her  until  called  for.  He  did  this  because  he  wanted  to 
sell  her  just  as  soon  as  his  brother  died,  and  he  brought 
her  to  the  church,  knowing  Christians  would  not  sell 
her.  The  woman  stayed  at  the  church  for  a  time  and 
then  concluded  to  go  to  another  church  some  distance 
away.  Here  she  was  found  by  a  missionary  on  one  of  his 
regular  trips.  The  leader  of  the  group  told  her  story 
and  how,  also,  a  band  of  roughs  were  planning  to  steal 
her  some  night.  The  poor  woman  pleaded  that  she 
might  be  taken  to  Pyeng  Yang.  The  missionary  con- 
sented, gave  her  over  to  the  care  of  his  wife,  and  for 
three  years  she  worked  in  his  home  and  attended  school 
when  school  was  in  session. 

Third  Picture 

On  January  11,  1908,  a  large  audience  gathered  in 
the  Central  Presbyterian  Church  of  Pyeng  Yang  to  bid 
farewell  to  the  first  foreign  missionary  sent  out  by  the 
Korean  Presbyterian  Church  to  the  Island  of  Quelpart, 
south  of  Korea.  The  missionary  made  a  short  fare- 
well address  and  then  Mr.  Kil,  the  pastor  of  the  church, 
spoke,  and  during  his  remarks  said  that  this  missionary 
must  not  be  discouraged  if  he  should  have  rocks  thrown 
at  him  by  the  Quelpart  people;  "for,"  said  Mr.  Kil, 
"  remember  how  you  threw  rocks  at  the  first  Pyeng 
Yang  missionaries."  And  the  missionary,  who  was 
Mr.  Yi  Ki-pung,  sat  with  the  tears  running  down  his 
cheeks  as  Mr.  Kil  spoke.  It  was  a  meeting  never  to 
be  forgotten  by  those  who  were  present.  The  next 
morning  Mr.  Yi  and  his  wife,  who  was  none  other 
than  the  young  woman  who  was  rescued  by  the  mis- 
sionary, left  for  their  future  field  of  labor. 

Reported  by  the  Rev.  Graham  Lee,  Pyeng  Yang,  Korea. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  61 

TWENTY-SECOND  SUNDAY 
BOOK  ANNOUNCEMENT 
DOWN  TO  TEE  SEA* 

BY  WILFRED  T.  GRENFELL 

Note. — One  or  more  of  the  incidents  narrated  below  may  be 
given  at  the  option  of  the  Leader. 

The  modest  hero  of  the  Labrador  coast,  Dr.  Wilfred 
T.  Grenfell,  has  given  pen  pictures  of  the  fishermen's 
lives  and  of  his  work  among  them  in  a  fine  little  vol- 
ume, Down  to  the  Sea.  You  can  read  it  through  in  an 
evening.  Some  of  the  characters  of  the  book  it  will 
do  us  good  to  know. 

Bill,  the  optimist,  paralyzed  and  poverty-stricken,  but  able  to  get 
about  and  drive  his  dog  team  is  always  doing  acts  of  kindness,  and 
carrying  parcels  on  his  sledge  for  others,  without  pay.  When 
remonstrated  with  for  spending  too  much  time  on  the  road  doing 
other  people's  work,  he  replied  :  "  'Tis  my  fashion.  I  fair  loves  to 
oblige  any  one,  especially  the  sick."  He  shared  the  belief  of  the 
fisher  folk  in  many  foolish  remedies.  One  of  his  dogs  was  very  thin 
—from  lack  of  food  chiefly— but  he  told  Dr.  Grenfell  he  had  given  an 
Indian  cure  for  it— "Nine  buckshot  to  eat  on  a  Friday." 

Some  of  the  remedies  for  human  diseases  among  the 
fishermen  were  about  as  superstitious.  A  toothache 
string  worn  around  the  neck,  and  a  green  ribbon  on 
the  left  wrist,  were  regarded  as  powerful  in  preventing 
toothache  in  the  one  case,  and  "  bleedin' "  or  hem- 
orrhage in  the  other. 

Harry  Lee,  the  mate  of  the  Wildflower,  is  a  man  worth  knowing. 
In  command  of  the  schooner,  he  "  hove  to  "  one  stormy  night  at  the 
risk  of  losing  his  vessel  and  all  on  board,  taking  a  chance  in  a 
thousand  of  savinga  shipwrecked  sailor  lashed  to  a  beam.  Whether 
he  succeeded  or  not  Dr.  Grenfell  tells  on  pageg  108  to  no. 

The  story  of  the  dogged  courage  of  Captain  '  Lige  Andersen  and 
his  crew,  with  their  boat  sinking  under  them  in  mid-Atlantic  in  the 
dead  of  winter  is  thrilling.  For  days  they  had  labored  at  the  pumps 
and  for  days  they  had  scanned  the  waves  in  hope  of  a  sail.     When 

*  Published  by  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  New  York.  Price, 
$1.00.    A  book  for  Intermediates  and  older  readers. 


62  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

courage  and  hope  were  almost  gone,  as  night  drew  on  a  vessel  was 
sighted.  To  signal,  Captain  Andersen  set  fire  to  his  boat.  The  flames 
shot  heavenward,  and  a  moment  later  a  brilliantsearchlight  blinded 
the  men  on  the  deck  of  the  sinking  Rippling  Wave.  The  rest  of  the 
story  is  told  on  page  59  and  following. 

Ask  for  Down  to  the  Sea,  by  Dr.  Wilfred  T.  Gren- 
fell.     You  can  get  it  in  the  Sunday-school  library. 


TWENTY-THIRD   SUNDAY 

FIELD  LETTER,  CHINA 

TYPICAL  LETTER  FROM  A  PRESENT-DAY 
FOREIGN  MISSIONARY 

Note. — See  accompanying  letter  in  full.  No  attempt  is  made 
to  read  the  letter  word  for  word.  Rather,  its  striking  facts  are 
seized  and  emphasized  in  a  way  to  catch  the  attention.  The 
method  of  its  presentation  can  be  applied  to  a  letter  from  your 
own  mission  station.     Read  carefully  chapter  IV  of  this  volume. 

Leader — I  have  a  letter  here  which  has  come  from  a 
missionary  in  Wei  Hsien,  China.  He  gives  a  report 
of  the  growth  of  the  work  that  should  stir  our  hearts 
and  lead  us  to  pray.  Here  are  some  of  the  encour- 
aging things : 

Standing1  room  only  in  our  church  at  Wei 
Hsien!  Students  from  the  College  and  local 
Christians  fill  every  seat.  This  is  not  on  spe- 
cial occasions,  but  it  happens  every  Sunday. 

You  thus  see  if  we  should  drop  in  to  the  service 
at  Wei  Hsien  some  Sunday,  we  would  have  to  go 
early,  or  stand  during  the  service. 

We  have  good  news,  too,  from  the  country  district 
around  Wei  Hsien. 

"The  churches  are  scattered;  the  Christians 
are  poor,  but  they  are  anxious  for  their  own 
Chinese  pastors.  Two  of  these  churches  have 
recently  called  such  pastors." 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  63 

This  is  particularly  encouraging  because  in  the 
future  the  Church  in  China  must  depend  upon  its  own 
leaders. 

Here  is  another  sentence  from  the  letter: 

"  One  man  was  in  the  habit  of  walking  seven 
miles  to  church." 

How  many  of  you  have  walked  that  far  to  Sunday- 
school  to-day  ?  You  will  note  that  this  man  "  was  in 
the  habit  of  walking  seven  miles  to  church."  That 
means  he  does  it  every  Sunday. 

Just  another  sentence  from  the  letter,  and  then  we 
will  ask  Mr to  lead  us  in  prayer. 

"Unless  we  foreign  missionaries  can  unload 
some  of  our  present  heavy  pastoral  cares  of  old 
fields  on  to  native  pastors,  there  will  be  no  time 
found  for  entering  the  many  new  fields  that 
daily  offer  themselves." 

There  is  the  problem  of  our  missionaries; — fields 
opening  which  they  cannot  enter  unless  more  native 
helpers  are  developed  to  take  care  of  the  work  already 
started. 

Now  let  us  thank  God  for  the  kind  of  Christians 
coming  into  the  Church  on  the  mission  field,  and  pray 
that  we  may  do  our  share  in  helping  to  solve  the 
problems  of  our  missionaries. 

Note. — The  person  who  now  leads  in  prayer  should  have  heen 
told  in  advance  to  pray  for  the  definite  things  just  mentioned. 

Copy  of  letter  from  Mr.  Fitch  from  which  adapta- 
tion was  made. 

Wei  Hsien,  Shantung,  China,  Nov.  29,  1910. 
Dear  Friends  : 

Our  church  is  crowded  to  its  utmost  seating  capacity  every 
Sabbath,  with  students  from  the  College  and  the  Middle 
Schools,  and  with  the  local  Christians. 

The  main  feature  of  a  recent  country  trip  was  the  securing 
of  calls  for  pastors  in  two  churches.  One  of  them  was  for 
a  young  licentiate,  who  is  to  be  ordained.  This  growing  desire 
for  pastors  among  the  churches  is  one  of  the  most  hopeful  signs 


64  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

of  growth  among  the  churches.  Growth  in  numhers  has  not  been 
so  marked  this  year,  though  about  300  were  added  during  the 
year.  We  are  exceedingly  anxious  to  get  more  pastors  in  the 
scattered  churches,  and  among  the  poor  Christians  ;  but  it  is 
going  to  mean  that  we  will  have  to  do  some  home  mission 
work  in  the  way  of  rendering  some  assistance  in  their  support. 
For  unless  we  foreign  missionaries  can  unload  some  of  our 
present  heavy  pastoral  cares  of  old  fields  on  to  native  pastors, 
there  will  be  no  time  found  for  entering  the  many  new  fields 
that  daily  offer  themselves. 

A  goodly  share  of  the  inquirers  I  examined  on  my  last  trip 
came  from  villages  other  than  the  one  at  which  the  chapel  was 
located.  I  had  to  go  to  one  new  village,  because  there  were 
so  many  women  among  the  inquirers,  and  they  could  not  well 
go  to  the  too  distant  chapel.  Thus  are  new  places  continually 
calling  for  visitation.  At  The  Heaven  Valley  Mouth  village, 
four  of  the  eight  inquirers  were  from  other  places,  and  there 
were  as  many  more  who  were  unable  to  be  present  also  from 
outside  villages.  One  man  was  in  the  habit  of  walking  seven 
miles  to  church.  Four  men  at  session  meeting  came  from  a 
village  three  miles  distant.  Their  women  folk  were  also  inter- 
ested, but  could  not  come  so  far  on  their  small  feet.  As  there 
are  other  Christians  in  their  village  of  Chang  yu,  it  means  that 
a  chapel  will  have  to  be  opened  there  ere  long.  This  scattering 
of  the  interest  is  a  hopeful  sign,  but  is  very  disconcerting  to 
those  who  have  to  plan  their  shepherding.  Do  you  wonder 
that  we  are  very  anxious  for  more  pastors?  One  of  the  most 
touching  incidents  of  the  Presbytery  was  when  Elder  Chu  plead 
with  us  not  to  let  Pastor  Ma  resign  from  their  church.  But 
Mr.  Ma  felt  he  must  for  health  reasons,  and  we  were  under 
the  painful  necessity  of  voting  against  the  elder's  plea. 

It  has  been  asked  whether  the  volunteers  for  the  ministry  in 
the  college  were  holding  out.  Some  of  them  are  already  in  the 
theological  college  at  Ching  Choufu.  A  fear  sprang  up  among 
them  that  the  church  would  not  be  able  to  support  them,  and 
there  was  some  hesitation  at  one  time,  and  there  now  seems 
every  hope  that  a  reasonable  number  of  them  will  remain  true 
to  their  purpose.  I  feel  sure  that  numbers  of  decisions  were 
made  too  precipitately,  and  ought  to  be  revised.  Of  course,  we 
would  all  rejoice  if  there  were  no  need  for  these  reconsiderations, 
but,  after  all,  they  are  the  less  of  two  evils,  and  the  ministry 
is  the  better  for  such  siftings. 

Yours  very  truly, 

J.  A.  Fitch. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  65 

TWENTY-FOURTH    SUNDAY 

HYMN  INTRODUCTION  AND  SCRIPTURE 

ONWARD,  CHRISTIAN  SOLDIERS 

Scripture  Lesson  :  Revelation  vii.  9-17 

Leader — At  the  great  World's  Sunday-school  Con- 
vention, which  was  held  in  Washington,  D.  C,  in 
May,  1910,  one  of  the  hymns  that  was  sung  on  World's 
Sunday-school  Day  was  "  Onward,  Christian  Soldiers." 
This  hymn  and  others  on  the  program  had  been  trans- 
lated into  more  than  two  hundred  languages,  and  were 
used  on  that  same  Sunday,  May  22,  all  over  the  world. 

Wouldn't  it  be  a  fine  thing,  if  to-day  we  had  with  us, 
in  our  Sunday-school,  representatives  from  all  of  these 
different  tribes  and  nations  to  join  with  us  in  this 
hymn  ?  We  could  not  understand  their  languages,  but 
they  could  sing  in  their  own  tongues  and  join  with  us 
in  the  same  tune. 

With  these  persons  in  mind,  note  especially  the 
words  in  the  second  and  fourth  stanzas  of  the  hymn, 

We  are  not  divided, 
All  one  body  we. 

Onward  then,  ye  people, 
Join  our  happy  throng, 
Blend  with  ours  your  voices 
In  the  triumph  song. 

Let  us  all  join  most  heartily  in  singing  this  hymn 
to-day. 

Note. — At  the  conclusion  of  the  hymn  if  it  is  desired  to  use 
the  following  Scripture  passage,  the  Leader  may  say  : 

Leader — In  our  song  we  have  been  ascribing  glory, 
laud,  and  honor  unto  Christ,  our  King,  and  calling 
upon  others  to  blend  with  ours  their  voices  in  the  tri- 
umph song.  Let  us,  therefore,  turn  for  our  Scripture 
lesson  to  the  seventh  chapter  of  Revelation  and  read 
verses  nine  to  seventeen.  This  passage  tells  us  of  the 
countless  multitude  of  the  redeemed  before  God's 
throne,  and  as  you  read  verse  nine,  I  want  you  to  ob- 
serve where  they  come  from. 


66  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

Let  us  read  verses  nine  to  twelve  inclusive  in  con- 
cert, and  verses  thirteen  to  seventeen  responsively. 

TWENTY-FIFTH   SUNDAY 

TEMPERANCE  ITEM 

WHERE   LIQUOR  IS   CURRENCY   AND   CHIL- 
DREN ARE  PAWNED  FOR  DRINK 

One  of  the  most  flagrant  national  sins  of  our  time 
is  the  debauching  of  Oriental  and  African  peoples  by 
the  liquor  traffic  carried  on  by  representatives  of  Chris- 
tian nations. 

The  enormity  of  this  sin  was  brought  out  at  the 
World  Missionary  Conference  at  Edinburgh. 

The  vices  of  Western  life  seem  to  work  with  much 
more  deadliness  among  men  of  the  more  simple  civili- 
zations. The  great  instance  is  the  increase  in  the 
liquor  traffic  which  is  traced  directly  to  the  West. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  mention  a  part  of  the  non- 
Christian  world  where  the  liquor  traffic  is  not  increas- 
ing. But  its  most  fearful  ravages  are  to  be  found  in 
the  ports  and  hinterland  of  Africa. 

In  the  year  1908  over  three  million  gallons  of  spirits 
were  imported  into  Southern  Nigeria,  valued  at  about 
one  fourth  of  the  value  of  the  total  imports  of  that 
colony.  It  is  significant  that  liquor  is  often  used  for 
currency.  Drunkenness  is  very  prevalent  in  different 
parts  of  the  colony,  especially  those  most  exposed  to 
European  influence.  Not  only  the  men,  but  also  the 
women  and  the  children  are  addicted  to  it,  and  it  is 
said  that  in  many  places  possibly  the  women  drink 
more  than  the  men.  Bishop  Johnson  recently  told  of 
having  visited  a  school  of  seventy-five  children  between 
the  ages  of  eight  and  sixteen,  where,  on  inquiry,  he 
found  that  only  fifteen  of  them  had  not  been  drinking 
gin.  The  desire  for  drink  is  becoming  so  dominant 
that  cases  are  not  infrequent  of  parents  pawning  their 
children  to  get  money  to  spend  for  liquor. 

One  of  the  striking  indications  of  the  spread  of  the 
liquor  traffic  is  the  fact  that  even  Mohammedans  have 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  67 

become  addicted  to  intemperance.  One  of  the  most 
damaging  and  serious  facts  of  all  is  that  for  purposes 
of  revenue  this  traffic  is  often  directly  promoted  by 
colonial  governments,  and  is  in  other  ways  conducted 
with  their  connivance  or  tacit  approval. 

It  is  bad  enough  for  our  governments  to  tolerate  the 
liquor  traffic  at  home. 

It  is  surely  advancing  to  "  greater  sin,"  when  for  the 
sake  of  gold,  these  helpless,  simple  peoples  are  de- 
stroyed by  liquor  and  the  work  of  uplift  conducted 
by  Christian  missionaries  thwarted. 

From  Kingdom  Comments. 

TWENTY-SIXTH    SUNDAY 
FIELD  ITEM 

AN  IMMIGRANT'S  LIFE   STORY 

Note. — The  following  Item  should  he  told  in  the  first  person 
by  some  one  impersonating  the  immigrant.  If  read,  with  no 
attempt  at  impersonation,  it  should  be  done  clearly  and  im- 
pressively. 

"I   was   born   in   N ,   eight   miles   from   Berlin. 

When  I  was  three  years  of  age  my  father  moved  to  a 
little  village  not  far  from  the  town  of  W....  in 
Russia.  At  the  age  of  four,  I  was  sent  to  a  Hebrew 
school,  which  I  attended  for  two  years.  After  that 
my  father  engaged  a  private  teacher,  who  lived  at  our 
house;  he  taught  me  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic, 
and  religious  knowledge.  I  was  instructed  in  the  five 
Books  of  Moses,  and  in  the  Prophets  according  to  the 
Jewish  beliefs.  This  teacher  stayed  with  us  for  four 
years,  and  by  the  end  of  that  time  I  was  being  taught 
in  the  Jewish  tabernacle.  I  worked  on  the  farm  for 
one  year,  helping  my  father.  When  I  was  eleven  years, 
I  started  again  to  school  in  the  town  of  W.  . .  .  to  learn 
the  Russian  language.  I  attended  school  for  one  year 
and  three  months,  after  which  I  went  home  for  the 
summer  holidays.  During  my  holidays  an  incident 
transpired  in  my  life  which  I  shall  always  remember. 
On  Sunday  I  was  at  a  Catholic  church,  and  listened 


68  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

to  the  priest,  who,  to  my  mind  and  way  of  thinking, 
did  not  preach  the  unvarnished  truth  to  the  poor  un- 
educated people.  At  the  close  of  the  service  he  came 
through  the  pews  carrying  a  gold  cross  in  his  hand, 
and  requesting  all  the  people  to  kiss  it.  This  I  refused 
to  do.  Then  he  began  to  preach  directly  to  me,  telling 
me  if  I  refused  to  obey  I  would  invoke  the  anger  of 
God.  He  finished  by  telling  how  cruelly  the  Jews 
treated  Christ,  and  urged  his  people  to  be  cruel  to  the 
Jews  when  they  had  the  chance.  At  this  I  got  up  on  a 
chair,  and  began  to  talk  to  the  people.  I  cannot  re- 
member now  exactly  what  I  said,  but  the  tenor  of  my 
speech  was  that  the  people  should  think  for  them- 
selves and  not  be  led  astray  by  those  who  preached  for 
material  gain.  Space  will  not  permit  me  to  go  into 
details,  but  suffice  it  to  say  that  my  act  was  a  grave 
offense  against  the  Russian  law,  and  a  few  hours  after 
I  got  home  two  police  officials  came  to  my  father's  to 
take  me  to  the  jail.  My  father  took  me  out  on  bail, 
and  as  I  was  under  age  I  did  not  receive  any  punish- 
ment, but  was  warned  if  a  like  occurrence  happened  I 
would  pay  for  the  whole  business.  When  I  was  about 
thirteen  years  of  age  I  went  back  to  school  and  got 
mixed  up  with  Socialists.  I  was  greatly  influenced, 
and  a  few  months  found  me  a  Socialist  organizer  and 
preacher.  While  I  was  thus  engaged  I  learned  that 
the  law  officers  were  hunting  for  me.  I  had  to  leave 
home  and  flee  into  Germany  with  friends,  where  I  re- 
mained for  three  years,  when  I  left  and  came  to  Canada. 
I  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  I  could  not  speak  a  word 
of  English,  and  did  not  know  any  people  here.  I  do 
not  go  to  any  place  of  worship.  I  spend  my  time 
reading." 

Leader — In  two  years  after  coming  to  Canada  this 
young  man  made  fifteen  hundred  dollars  and  held  a 
responsible  position  with  a  city  firm.  His  story  is 
typical  and  pleads  the  cause  of  the  immigrants  now 
coming  both  to  Canada  and  the  United  States.  Their 
old  faith  is  lost.    What  have  we  to  offer  them? 

Woodsworth,  Strangers  Within  Our  Gates. 


THIRD  QUARTER 

TWENTY-SEVENTH   SUNDAY 
SCRIPTURE  INTRODUCTION 

HEARING    THE    CRUCIFIXION    STORY    FOR 
THE    FIRST    TIME 

Scripture  Lesson:  Isaiah  liii.  3-7 ;  John  iii.  14-18. 

Leader — The  mountain  evangelist,  George  O.  Barnes, 
it  is  said,  once  stopped  at  a  mountain  cabin  and  told 
the  story  of  the  crucifixion  as  few  other  men  can. 
When  he  was  quite  through,  an  old  woman  who  had 
listened  in  absorbed  silence,  asked: 

"  Stranger,  you  say  that  that  happened  a  long  while 
ago  ? " 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Barnes,  "almost  two  thousand 
years  ago." 

"And  they  treated  him  that  way  when  he'd  come 
down  f  er  nothin'  on  earth  but  to  save  'em  \ " 

"  Yes." 

The  old  woman  was  crying  softly,  and  she  put  out 
her  hand  and  laid  it  on  his  knee. 

"  Well,  stranger,"  she  said,  "  let's  hope  that  hit  ain't 
so." 

There  was  a  charm  in  hearing  the  gospel  story  for 
the  first  time  that  stirred  that  mountain  woman's  soul. 
She  was  pained  that  humanity  was  capable  of  such  in- 
gratitude, to  crucify  the  Lord.  But  she  needed  to  learn 
that  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  bruise  him  (Isaiah  liii.  10) 
in  order  that  redemption  might  be  possible. 

Let  us  read  together  for  our  Scripture  Lesson  to- 
day the  passage  from  Isaiah  that  foretells  the  suffer- 
ing of  the  Messiah.  It  is  found  in  the  fifty-third 
chapter,  verses  three  to  seven,  and  then  let  us  couple 
69 


70  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

with  it  the  third  chapter  of  John,  verses  fourteen  to 
eighteen. 

Adapted  from  Fox,  Blue  Grass  and  Rhododendron. 

TWENTY-EIGHTH   SUNDAY 

RECRUITING    FOR    SERVICE    BY    SUGGESTING 
DEFINITE   ACTIVITY 

UTILIZING  WASTE  MATEKIAL* 

Leader — To-day  we  are  to  hear  about  a  very  practical 
thing  we  can  do  along  the  line  of  missionary  service. 
We  have  secured  the  name  of  one  of  our  own  mission- 
aries,   ,  in ,  to  whom  we  are  asked 

(Insert  name)  (Insert  place) 

to  send  picture  cards,  illustrated  papers,  and  magazines, 

picture  post-cards,  etc.     Miss would  like  to 

meet  at  the  close  of  Sunday-school  to-day  the  Junior 
Department  and  all  others  who  will  help  in  the  col- 
lecting and  sending  of  such  material  to  the  field.  She 
has  some  plans  t  to  outline  to  you. 

Now  we  are  to  hear  how  the  sending  of  some  of 
these  things  is  appreciated. 

Note. — Members  of  the  school  now  read  the  following. 
Leader — A  missionary  in  China  t  writes : 

"A  little  woman  in  Hinghwa,  China,  tells  the  fol- 
lowing story  of  how  she  became  a  Christian: 

" '  I  lived  on  the  corner,  less  than  a  block  from  the 
church,  and  had  never  been  inside  of  it.  One  day  my 
boy  saw  the  children  coming  from  Sunday-school  with 

*  Write  to  the  Superintendent  of  the  Waste  Material  Depart- 
ment of  the  World's  Sunday  School  Association,  1  Madison  Ave- 
nue, New  York  City,  stating  your  denomination  in  full,  and  he 
will  send  you  the  name  of  a  home  or  foreign  missionary  to  whom 
waste  material  may  be  sent. 

t  Announce  time  and  place  when  a  meeting  will  be  held 
during  the  week  when  the  cards  and  papers  may  be  brought  and 

{prepared  for  shipment  to  the  mission  field.   Write  for  explanatory 
eaflet  to  the  Department  for  Utilizing  Surplus  Material,  1  Mad- 
ison Avenue,  New  York  City. 
J  Mrs.  Elizabeth  F.  Brewster. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  71 

their  cards.  "  Give  me  one,"  he  said.  "  No,  you  go 
to  Sunday-school  next  week  and  you  will  get  one,  too," 
the  children  replied. 

"  *  He  kept  count  and  the  next  Sunday  I  missed  my 
boy.  I  went  out  to  look  for  him.  "  O,  he  has  gone 
to  the  church  of  the  Jesus  doctrine,"  some  one  told 
me. 

" '  I  was  frightened.  I  had  a  rice-dust-covered  cloth 
on  my  head,  for  I  was  cleaning  rice  to  earn  my  daily 
food,  I  did  not  stop  to  brush  my  clothes,  but  went 
right  up  to  the  church  full  of  fear. 

" '  I  entered  the  women's  door  and  saw  what  amazed 
me — a  group  of  women  reading.  I  had  not  believed 
it  possible  for  women  to  read  and  look  so  happy.  Be- 
fore I  had  not  thought  of  my  own  appearance.  I 
looked  for  my  boy  and  saw  him  in  a  group  reading 
the  text  which  was  to  be  recited  when  he  would  get  his 
coveted  card.  I  went  away  and  later  my  boy  came 
with  his  card.  He  also  told  me  the  Bible  verse  he  had 
recited.  Next  Sunday  I  tidied  myself  and  went  with 
my  boy. 

" '  That  was  the  beginning  and  we  became  Chris- 
tians.' 

"  The  woman,  driven  to  despair  for  food  for  herself 
and  children,  had  been  a  '  sinner,'  and  now  she  must 
find  some  other  way.  Her  son  and  the  little  girl  who 
had  been  betrothed  in  infancy  to  her  son  were  given  to 
the  orphanage.  She  was  given  work  that  she  might 
earn  an  honest  living. 

"  A  whole  family  was  saved  by  the  little  picture 
cards." 

Leader — Here  is  a  word  from  Korea :  * 

"  I  have  received  pictures  from  time  to  time,  though 
not  nearly  enough  to  supply  the  needs  in  my  country 
Bible  classes.  It  is  touching  to  see  an  old  woman  of 
seventy  years  carrying  a  little  card  around  for  days, 
and  sleeping  with  it  under  her  pillow  at  night,  because 

*  From  a  letter  received  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  D.  Price,  Super- 
intendent of  the  Department  for  Utilizing  Surplus  Materials  of 
the  World's  Sunday  School  Association. 


72  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

it  not  only  is  the  only  picture  she  ever  possessed,  but  it 
opens  such  an  easy  field  for  preaching. 

"  We  depend  very  largely  upon  our  Christian  Ko- 
reans to  bring  the  non-Christians  into  the  Church,  and 
anything  we  can  give  them  which  encourages  and  helps 
them  to  do  more  and  better  preaching  is  of  most  vital 
importance.  Hence  I  will  be  very  grateful  for  all  cards 
and  picture  rolls,  especially  those  about  the  Life  of 
Christ.  I  paste  white  paper  over  the  backs  of  the 
cards  upon  which  I  have  the  text  written  in  the  native 
text.  If  the  scholars  at  home  could  cover  the  cards  in 
that  way,  it  would  save  a  lot  of  time  and  make  it  pos- 
sible for  me  to  use  still  more  of  them." 

Leader — This  statement  is  from  India :  * 

"  As  several  hundred  of  our  boys  and  girls  under- 
stand English  well,  copies  of  the  Youth's  Companion  or 
Forward,  or  any  other  good  magazine  would  be  very 
acceptable.  Calendars,  old  and  new,  would  be  most 
useful.  Please  send  me  a  copy  of  Peloubet's  Notes  or 
Tarbell's  Guide.  Also  ideas  on  junior  and  kinder- 
garten work  for  use  in  teaching  the  children.  Library 
books  that  have  been  read  and  replaced  by  new  ones, 
the  Sunday  School  Times  (we  are  six  months  behind 
the  lessons  here),  and  the  Christian  Herald  would  De 
very  acceptable."  "  I  can  reach  as  many  children  as  I 
have  cards  for."  "  The  homes  are  wholly  destitute  in 
the  line  of  pictures  and  literature.  I  find  advertis- 
ing pictures  of  English  firms,  some  of  which  are  very 
immoral,  and  pictures  of  Hindu  gods  and  other 
heatheninsh  illustrations  in  houses  everywhere  these 
can  be  had.  People  beg  at  our  doors  for  catalogues  of 
business  firms  for  the  sake  of  the  pictures."  "  In  the 
Sunday-schools  we  use  the  small  cards  as  rewards  for 
committing  verses  of  the  Bible." 

Leader — I  hope  a  goodly  number  of  our  scholars  will 

meet  Miss after  Sunday-school,  so  that  we 

may  have  a  share  in  sending  some  of  these  needed 
things  to  the  mission  field. 

*  From  a  letter  received  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  D.  Price,  Super- 
intendent of  the  Waste  Material  Department  of  the  World'* 
Sunday  School  Association. 


J*ive  Missionary  Minutes  73 

TWENTY-NINTH    SUNDAY 
FIELD  ITEM 

BIBLE  STUDY  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES 

A  mother  in  Brazil,  who  had  bought  a  Bible  and 
shared  its  teachings  with  her  children,  was  forbidden  by 
her  husband  to  read  it,  but  she  had  become  so  much 
interested  that  she  only  hid  it  away  while  he  was  about 
the  house.  He  learned  from  the  servants  and  the  chil- 
dren that  she  was  still  reading  the  book,  and  severs1 
times  treated  her  roughly  and  beat  her  for  disobeying 
his  prohibition.  She  then  conceived  the  idea  of  read- 
ing at  night  when  all  were  asleep.  To  do  this  sh% 
would  hide  her  Bible,  a  box  of  matches,  and  a  candle, 
cut  into  small  pieces,  under  her  pillow.  After  all  the 
household  were  soundly  asleep  she  would  light  one  of 
the  bits  of  candle  and  hold  it  closely  down  by  her  side 
that  the  light  might  not  shine  across  her  body  and  dis- 
turb her  sleeping  husband,  and  thus  she  spent  many 
nights  seeking  out  of  God's  book  his  messages  for  her 
soul.  The  children  of  this  godly  woman  have  grown 
into  beautiful  Christian  characters,  bringing  up  their 
families  in  the  knowledge  and  fear  of  God. 
Tucker  in  Wonder  Stories — Latin  America. 

THIRTIETH    SUNDAY 

SCRIPTURE  INTRODUCTION  AND  PRAYER 

THE  INFLUENCE  OF  A  STOLEN  BIBLE 

Scripture  Lesson  :   Numbers  xxxii.   23 ;   Proverbs  xxviii.   13 

Jhwani  Das  was  the  name  of  a  highway  robber  in 
India.  One  day  he  held  up  and  robbed  a  native  Chris- 
tian teacher.  Part  of  the  booty  was  some  portions  of 
the  Bible.  He  took  the  book  home,  and  his  son,  who 
was  a  schoolboy,  asked  for  it.  One  day  Jhwani  Das 
asked  his  son  to  read  to  him  from  this  book.  The  boy 
opened  the  Bible,  by  what  we  call  chance,  to  the  Book 
of  Numbers,  the  32d  Chapter  and  23d  verse.  "  Be  sure 
your  sin  will  find  you  out." 


74  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

The  father  had  no  sooner  heard  this  verse  than  he 
began  to  tremble  and  show  great  fear.  His  son  asked 
him  what  was  the  matter,  but  got  no  answer.  Later  the 
father  took  the  book  himself  and  began  to  read,  and 
came  again  upon  the  very  same  verse.  Convicted  of 
his  sin  and  fearing  coming  punishment,  he  read  further 
in  the  Old  Testament,  and  then  in  the  New,  and  learned 
of  Christ  the  Savior  from  sin.  He  then  went  to  the 
mission  station  at  Budaon,  where  he  was  baptized,  and 
he  lived  an  exemplary  life  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

Let  us  turn  to  this  verse  in  our  Bibles — Numbers 
xxxii.  23 — and  read  it  together. 

"  Be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you  out." 

Does  it  say  "every  one  of  your  sins  men  will  find 
out"? 

No,  though  they  do  find  out  a  good  many  of 
them ;  but  whether  men  find  them  out  or  not, 
sin  and  its  penalty  will  find  us  out. 

Now  turn  to  another  verse — Proverbs  xxviii.  13 — and 
read  with  me  the  first  clause. 

"  He  that  covereth  his  transgressions  shall  not 
prosper." 

Even  if  we  cover  up  sin  from  men's  eyes,  we  can't 
from  God's,  and  even  if  outwardly  prosperous,  con- 
science is  remorselessly  condemning  us.  Now  read  the 
rest  of  the  verse. 

"  But  whoso  confesseth  and  forsaketh  them 
shall  obtain  mercy." 

Note  the  two  things  that  must  be  done: 

Confess,  Forsake. 

Let  us  pray: 

We  thank  thee,  our  Heavenly  Father,  that  thou  hast  made 
provision  for  sin's  forgiveness,  that  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
thy  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin,  provided  toe  confess  and  for- 
sake it.  Grant,  O  Father,  that  no  one  of  us  may  so  deceive 
ourselves  as  to  think  that  our  sin  will  not  find  us  out.  We 
know  we  oannot  conceal  it  from  thy  gaze,  and  so  we  make  con- 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  75 

fession  this  day  and  ask  for  grace  and  strength  to  forsake  the 
tins  that  so  strongly  appeal  to  us,  so  easily  beset  us,  and  so 
often  cause  our  downfall.  May  the  conquering  Christ  grip  us 
and  break  sin's  power  in  our  lives.  Nor  should  ice  forget  to 
pray  to-day  for  others  in  sin's  grasp  in  our  city,  our  land,  and  in 
the  dark  places  of  the  earth.  Bring  home  to  men's  consciences 
the  truth  that  their  sin  will  find  them  out,  and  lead  them  to 
repentance  and  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  We  ask  it  in 
Jesus'  name.     Amen. 

Adapted    from    item    in    the    Missionary   Review    of    the 
World. 

THIRTY-FIRST   SUNDAY 

HYMN  INTRODUCTION 

THROW  OUT  THE  LIFE  LINE 

Note. — If  this  hymn  is  not  in  the  school  hymnal,  get  a  copy 
of  a  book  that  has  it,  and  have  some  one  sing  the  stanzas  as 
a  solo.  Write  on  the  blackboard  the  chorus,  so  that  the  entire 
school  may  sing  it. 

Out  in  the  great  Northwest  about  two  hundred  thou- 
sand men  are  at  work  in  the  lumber  camps.  These 
"  lumber  jacks,"  as  they  are  called,  welcome  the  sturdy 
home  missionary  who,  as  hardy  as  themselves,  brings 
to  them  a  manly  gospel.  One  such  "  sky  pilot "  had 
promised  the  "  boys  "  he  would  be  with  them  on  a  cer- 
tain evening.  As  he  came  along  the  railroad  tracks 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  logging-camp,  he 
began  to  sing.  The  clerk  heard  him,  rushed  out  into 
the  bunk  house,  and  called  out,  "  He's  coming,  boys." 
Fifty  men  made  a  break  for  the  door  and  broke  into 
"  Three  cheers  for  the  chaplain." 

After  a  little  rest,  the  evening  service  was  begun 
by  one  of  the  favorite  hymns  of  the  lumbermen,  "  Throw 
out  the  life-line."  The  chaplain  asked  the  foreman  if 
the  roof  was  good  and  strong,  and,  being  assured  that  it 
was,  he  told  the  boys  to  pull  out  every  stop. 

Leader — I  am  sure  the  roof  of  our  Sunday-school 
room  is  all  right,  too,  so  you  also  can  pull  out  the 
stops  as  we  all  join  in  singing  this  gospel  hymn, 
"  Throw  out  the  life-line." 

Adapted  from  Piatt,  The  Frontier. 


76  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

THIRTY-SECOND   SUNDAY 
FIELD  LETTER,  CANADA 

TYPICAL  LETTEE  FROM   A  MISSIONARY 
MAGAZINE 

Note. —  Often  in  the  missionary  magazines  will  be  found  let- 
ters of  general  interest,  parts  of  which  may  be  brought  to  the 
attention  of  the  local  Sunday-school,  whether  the  school  may 
be  supporting  work  at  the  particular  station  mentioned  or  not. 
The  school  will  thus  be  trained  to  have  broad  missionary 
interests. 

Leader — We  are  to  hear  to-day,  not  from  our  own 
mission  station,  but  of  work  among  the  foreigners  in 
North  America.  They  present  one  of  the  great  big 
problems  that  our  Home  Mission  Board  is  trying  to 
solve,  and  you  will  be  interested  to  learn  how  a  live 
young  missionary  up  in  the  city  of  Edmonton,  Alberta, 
Canada,  is  working  among  them. 

Edmonton,  Alberta,  Canada. 
My  dear  Friends  : 

The  atmosphere  of  my  study  this  evening  has  been 
A4Ej  (which  being  interpreted  means :  Austrian,  four ; 
English,  one).  Had  you  the  privilege  of  being  one  of 
this  group,  you  would  have  seen  and  heard  some  in- 
teresting things.  Perhaps  the  most  interesting  thing 
would  have  been  to  see  one  English-speaking  fellow  tak- 
ing an  overdose  of  Austrian  through  eyes,  ears,  mouth, 
et  al.  But  the  dose  was  not  by  any  means  nauseous, 
for  I  have  become  accustomed  to  overdoses  of  a  similar 
nature  these  days.  You  see,  it's  one  of  the  many  ways 
of  acquiring  a  new  language.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to 
create  an  Austrian  atmosphere  by  getting  a  few  of  your 
Austrian  friends  in  and  start  the  conversation. 

I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  make  this  in  my  diary  as  my 
"  Austrian  evening."  Last  evening  was  somewhat 
"  Dutch."  I  had  six  fine  specimens  of  the  Hollanders 
who  are  here.  They  are  earnestly  learning  English, 
and  have  come  to  me  for  whatever  help  I  can  give  them. 

Edmonton,  the  Mecca  of  the  West,  is  growing  rap- 
idly. She  is  already  a  cosmopolitan  city.  On  Jaspar 
Avenue,     Jews,      Germans,     Frenchmen,     Austrians, 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  77 

Chinese,  and  Canadians  compete  with  each  other  for 
the  trade  of  the  city.  In  the  market-place,  the  Eng- 
lishman, the  American,  the  German,  the  Dutch,  the 
Indian,  the  Austrian,  the  French,  and  the  Swede  bring 
the  products  of  the  soil.  In  the  college,  the  Indian, 
the  Austrian,  the  German,  and  the  Canadian  are  study- 
ing the  same  text-books.  At  almost  every  turn  you 
come  face  to  face  with  the  strangers.  They  are  here 
from  almost  every  nation  under  heaven — dwellers  in 
Africa,  in  Russia,  in  China,  in  Austria,  and  in  the  ut- 
termost parts  of  the  earth.  What  must  we  as  a  Church 
do  ?  Perhaps  wiser  and  older  heads  than  mine  will  give 
us  the  solution.  Our  work  at  present  consists  in  house- 
to-house  visitation  and  heart-to-heart  talks.  As  we 
have  opportunity  we  read  the  Word  and  "  sow  beside 
all  waters."  It  is  most  interesting  and  profitable  work. 
Come  with  me  for  an  afternoon's  visiting.  This  is  an 
Austrian  street,  nearly  every  house  on  the  street  being 
occupied  by  Austrians.  Let  us  knock  at  this  neat  little 
shack. 

"  Slava  Isusa  (Glory  to  Jesus),  how  are  you  to-day? 
Is  your  husband  at  home  ?  He  is  not  ?  Where  does  he 
work  ?     Oh,  yes,  yes ;  and  does  he  know  how  to  read  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  can  read  Ruthenian,  Polish,  and  Ger- 
man." 

"  That  is  good.     And  has  he  the  Bible? " 

"  Yes,  he  has  the  Bible  and  reads  it  very  much." 

"  Do  you  love  Jesus  ?  " 

"Why  not?" 

"Yes,  we  must  love  Jesus,  and  if  we  love  him  we 
shall  keep  his  commandments.  I  suppose  if  you  love 
him  you  keep  his  commandments?" 

"  I  cannot  keep  them  all  for  they  are  too  hard." 

"  Oh,  but  Jesus  will  help  you  if  you  ask  him.  Good- 
day." 

Look  at  that  cute  little  house  there.  Let's  see  who 
lives  in  it. 

"Good-afternoon.     Who  is  living  here,  please ?" 
"  Anthon  Walchuk,  sir." 
"Can  you  read?" 


78  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

"  No,  sir,  I  cannot  read." 

"  May  I  read  you  something  from  the  best  Book  in 
the  world?  I  have  a  good  Book  here  which  tells  of 
*  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life.'  Listen  to  this :  '  God 
so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son 
that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  should  not  perish,  but 
have  eternal  life.'     That  is  good,  isn't  it  ? " 

"  Yes,  yes,  that  is  good.  I  am  getting  old,  sir,  and 
it  is  time  for  me  to  be  finding  out  about  the  way.  Will 
you  come  again,  sir  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  will  come  again  soon.  Jesus  is  the  Way, 
and  no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  him." 

Oh,  there  is  nothing  that  can  take  the  place  of  such 
work,  but  we  need  to  be  working  along  other  lines  at  the 
same  time,  for  we  have  problems  that  we  cannot  solve 
this  way.  How  are  we  going  to  deal  with  the  type  of 
Socialism  we  find  among  these  people?  It  is  a  mixture 
of  socialism,  infidelity,  and  Christianity.  They  have  a 
false  idea  of  freedom  and  throw  off  all  religious 
restraint.  We  must  come  to  them  and  teach  them  that 
they  must  know  the  truth  and  the  truth  will  make 
them  free.  What  shall  we  do  to  counteract  the  teach- 
ing of  a  religious  system  which  declares  that  the  more 
education  a  man  gets  the  more  the  Lord  darkens  his 
mind,  and  that  good  faith  is  true  education?  And 
further,  that  the  priest  is  responsible  for  the  souls  of 
the  people  to  whom  he  ministers,  no  matter  whether 
they  sin  or  not.  What  shall  we  do,  I  ask,  to  bring  the 
reign  of  the  higher  and  nobler  things  for  this  people  ?  * 

Note. — At  the  conclusion  of  the  letter  the  Leader  may  call 
upon  some  one  to  offer  brief  prayer  for  the  missionaries  at 
work  among  foreigners  in  our  own  land. 

*  Adapted  from  a  letter  of  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Pike  in  The  Missionary 
Bulletin  published  by  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Church  of 
Canada. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  79 

THIRTY-THIRD   SUNDAY 
REPORT  ON  MISSIONARY  INVESTMENTS 

THE  BOY  WHO  WANTED  TO  KNOW  ABOUT 
THE  RETUKNS 

Note. — If  the  school  observes  Kingdom  Day  (18th  Sunday) 
or  Is  giving  regularly  otherwise  to  Missions,  then  on  one  or 
more  Sundays  in  the  year  reports  should  be  given  to  the  school 
how  the  money  has  been  spent.  The  surest  way  to  get  a  second 
dollar  is  to  tell  about  the  good  the  first  one  has  accomplished. 
Several  months  may  ordinarily  elapse  after  Kingdom  Day  before 
a  report  should  be  given. 

One  day  a  boy  said  to  his  mother :  "  I  am  going  down 
to  the  church  to-night  to  hear  the  missionary  from 
Africa,  for  when  he  was  here  before,  I  gave  him  five 
cents,  and  I  want  to  know  what  he  has  done  with  it." 

That  boy  was  exactly  right.  He  had  made  an  in- 
vestment in  the  missionary  enterprise,  and  he  was  in- 
terested in  the  returns.  He  had  a  right  to  expect 
dividends,  and  when  the  missionary  returned  he  was 
interested  to  learn  what  had  been  accomplished.  That 
boy  is  likely  to  grow  up  with  an  increasing  interest  in 
the  cause  of  missions. 

Too  often  we  give  unintelligently  and  with  little  in- 
terest, not  expecting  to  hear  of  the  good  our  money 
does. 

I  am  glad  to  bring  you  a  report  to-day  concerning  the 
money  we  have  invested  as  a  Sunday-school  the  past 
year  in  our  mission  work  at  home  and  abroad. 


Note.— The  leader  or  person  appointed  should  now  present  to  the 
school  a  brief  but  interesting  statement  of  the  amount  collected  and 
expended  during  the  year,  together  with  concrete  incidents  obtained  from 
the  missionary  in  charge,  or  from  your  denominational  Mission  Boards, 
showing  results  of  the  work. 


80  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

THIRTY-FOURTH   SUNDAY 

SCRIPTURE  INTRODUCTION  AND  HYMN 

PSALMS  OF  THE  BESIEGED  AT  PEKING 

Scripture  Lesson  :  Psalm  xxxiv.  4-7  ;  Psalm  cxxiv.    Hymn,  Peace, 
Perfect  Peace 

In  the  year  1900  there  occurred  in  China  the  Boxer 
outbreak,  an  attempt  to  drive  out  of  the  Empire  all 
foreigners.  Hundreds  of  them  were  killed,  among 
them  many  missionaries.  The  Boxer  fury  was  also 
directed  against  the  native  Christians,  because  they 
had  accepted  a  foreign  religion,  and  thousands  of  them 
suffered  death  rather  than  renounce  Christianity. 

In  the  capitol  at  Peking  large  numbers  of  foreigners 
and  native  Christians  took  refuge  in  the  British  lega- 
tion. For  more  than  two  months  they  were  surrounded 
by  howling  mobs  of  Chinese  soldiers  bent  on  their  de- 
struction. The  besieged  men  and  women,  with  worn 
and  haggard  faces,  met  each  morning  to  sing  and 
pray.  There  were  endless  disturbances,  children  cry- 
ing, and  sewing-machines  buzzing,  as  they  made  the 
countless  bags  that  were  necessary  for  fortification. 
People  were  coming  and  going  constantly,  and  yet 
withal,  a  reverent  worship  was  possible.  Bibles  opened 
almost  of  their  own  accord  to  the  Psalms  which  seemed 
exactly  to  describe  the  daily  distress  and  peril,  and  the 
utter  dependence  upon  God  for  deliverance. 

Let  us  read  two  such  Psalms,  the  thirty-fourth, 
verses  four  to  seven,  and  Psalm  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-four. 

In  the  thirty-fourth  Psalm  I  shall  read  the  first  clause 
of  the  verses  mentioned,  and  the  school  will  take  up 
the  following  clauses  to  the  end  of  each  sentence.  By 
so  doing,  we  have  the  Psalmist's  declaration  and  the 
response,  and  the  thought  of  the  verses  is  more  clearly 
emphasized  than  if  we  read  responsively  by  verses. 
For  example: 

Leader— "I  sought  Jehovah." 
School—"  And  he  answered  me  and  delivered  me 
from  all  my  fears." 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  81 

-Leader—"  They  looked  unto  him." 
School—"  And  were  radiant ;  and  their  faces  shall 
never  be  confounded,"  etc. 

Leader — In  reading  the  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
fourth  Psalm,  I  will  read  verses  one  and  two,  the  school 
verses  three  to  five,  and  we  will  all  read  in  unison  verses 
six  to  eight. 

Note. — At  the  conclusion  of  the  Scripture  the  leader  will 
say : 

We  will  now  join  in  singing  a  hymn  which  the  be- 
sieged Christians  at  Peking  frequently  sang. 

Peace,  perfect  peace. 

Note. — If  this  hymn  is  not  in  your  school  hymnal,  use  "  The 
Son  of  God  goes  forth  to  war,"  which  was  also  used  under  the 
same  circumstances  noted  above. 

Adapted  from  Hubbard,  Under  Marching  Orders. 

THIRTY-FIFTH   SUNDAY 
PRAYER  INTRODUCTION 

"  KEDO-HAPSATA,"   LET    US   PEAY 

"  Kedo-hapsata "  (let  us  pray)  were  the  words 
spoken  by  Ne  Che-su,  the  Korean  language  teacher  of 
a  newly  arrived  missionary  in  Pyeng  Yang.  The  mis- 
sionary had  been  almost  in  despair  as  he  attempted  to 
learn  the  difficult  language,  but  one  Sunday  night  after 
service  Mr.  Ne  came  to  him  and  said  something  that, 
though  the  missionary  could  not  understand,  he  could 
yet  distinguish  the  sounds.  The  very  first  words  that 
the  Korean  taught  the  missionary  were  "  kedo-hapsata." 
"  I  would  be  seated  at  my  desk  ready  to  begin,"  writes 
the  missionary,  "  but  he  was  not.  '  Kedo-hapsata '  he 
would  say,  and  I  understood  him,  for  in  a  moment  he 
had  slipped  from  his  place  by  my  side  to  the  floor  and 
was  praying.  Every  morning  and  afternoon  for  three 
years  it  was  '  Kedo-hapsata.'  God  sent  me  a  spirit- 
filled  teacher,  and  he  prayed  the  language  into  me; 
prayed  and  labored  until  I  was  afraid  not  to  study 
as  hard  as  I  ought." 


82  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

Let  us  pray  not  only  in  Sunday-school  and  church, 
and  morning  and  evening  each  day,  but  any  time,  any- 
where, for  guidance  and  help.     Will  Mr 

now  lead  us  ? 

Adapted  from  Blair,  The  Korean  Pentecost. 

THIRTY-SIXTH   SUNDAY 
BOOK  ANNOUNCEMENT 

ADVENTURES    WITH   FOUR-FOOTED    FOLK* 

BY   BELLE   M.   BRAIN 

Every  girl  and  boy  is  acquainted  with  some  four- 
footed  folk,  perhaps  it  is  a  horse,  a  dog,  or  a  cat,  your 
own  or  your  neighbor's.  They  make  mighty  good 
friends,  and  they  appreciate  attention  and  kindness. 

I  suppose  a  number  of  you  could  stand  up  here  to- 
day and  tell  some  fine  stories  about  your  four-footed 
friends  and  the  experiences  you  have  had  with  them. 
There  is  not  time  for  that  now,  but  I  want  to  in- 
troduce to  you  some  four-footed  folk  that  you  do  not 
have  in  your  home — a  whole  collection  of  them.  The 
kind  you  see  in  the  menageries  and  zoological  gardens. 
There  are  a  lot  of  fine  stories  about  them  in  this  book 
— short  stories,  too — that  you  will  like  to  read. 
(Hold  the  book  up  in  view  of  the  school.) 

Here  is  one  of  them: 

Eev.  and  Mrs.  Hans  Egede  and  their  four  chil- 
dren went  to  Greenland  to  live — a  very  cold  place.  One 
day  a  strange  and  uninvited  guest  came  to  call.  Mrs. 
Egede  was  busy  about  her  household  duties  when,  sud- 
denly, she  heard  a  noise  at  the  door,  and,  looking  up, 
what  should  she  see  but  a  big  white  polar  bear  evi- 
dently in  search  of  his  dinner.  He  was  trying  to  push 
his  way  into  the  house. 

There  seemed  no  way  of  escape  and  no  means  of 
protection,  and  for  a  moment   Mrs.  Egede  stood  there 

*  Published   by  Fleming   H.  Revell    Company    New    York.      Price, 
11.00.  net.     A  book  suitable  for  Junior  Readers. 


Five  Missionary   Minutes  83 

frightened  almost  to  death.  Then,  suddenly,  a  thought 
struck  her.  What  that  thought  was  and  how  she  acted 
on  it  is  told  on  page  166  of  this  book. 

The  first  girl  or  boy  who  asks  the  Sunday-school 
Librarian  for  it  after  Sunday-school  will  get  it  for  this 
week,  but  be  sure  to  bring  it  back  next  Sunday,  so 
some  one  else  can  have  it. 

Adapted  from  Brain,  Adventures  v/Uh  Four-footed  Folk. 

THIRTY-SEVENTH   SUNDAY 
FIELD  ITEM 

AN  APPEAL  THAT  BROUGHT  THE  CHURCH 
IN  HONAN  TO  INDEPENDENCE 

Mr.  Hu  (Who)  is  a  great  preacher  in  Honan,  China. 
Indeed,  he  is  called  "  The  Spurgeon  of  North  China." 
In  1910  the  foreign  missionaries  endeavored  to  per- 
suade the  Honanese  Christians  that  the  time  had  now 
arrived  when  they  should  become  more  independent 
of  the  help  of  the  Canadian  Church.  They  found  it 
difficult,  however,  to  induce  them  to  form  a  native  Pres- 
bytery.    They  feared  being  cast  off  to  sink  or  swim. 

Mr.  Hu  arose  and  thus  appealed  to  his  fellow  Chris- 
tians. Taking  an  egg,  he  said  :"  You  see  if  I  try  to 
stand  this  egg  on  end,  it  will  topple  over,  but  if  I  put 
an  egg-cup  under  it "  (which  he  did)  "  it  stands  up- 
right. Now,  we  are  just  like  this  egg.  When  we  were 
not  able  to  stand  alone,  the  foreign  Church  supported 
us.  But  the  time  has  now  arrived  when  the  egg-cup 
must  be  taken  away.  Let  me  tell  you,  then,  how  we 
must  stand  on  our  own  feet."  He  then  tapped  the  one 
end  of  the  egg  on  the  desk  and  broke  the  shell  a  little, 
thus  flattening  it.  "  Now  you  see  the  egg  is  able  to 
stand  alone  when  the  shell  is  crushed  a  little.  So  we 
must  break  a  little  of  our  shell  of  selfishness  and  give 
more  for  the  Lord's  work." 

Then  changing  his  illustration,  he  said:  "We  are 
like  the  egg  also  in  another  way.  You  know  what 
would  happen  if  a  hen  were  to  sit  on  a  good  egg.  About 
three  weeks  later  a  chicken  would  come  out  of  the  egg, 


84  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

self-supporting,  self-governing,  and  self-propagating. 
It  would  have  to  be  mothered  by  the  hen  for  a  little 
while,  but  in  a  few  weeks  it  would  be  off.  So  we  have 
been  mothered  now  for  a  long  time  by  the  foreign 
Church,  but  it  is  time  that  we  should  scratch  for  our- 
selves and  thus  be  independent  of  the  mother  Church." 
Then  he  appealed  to  the  audience  to  vote  for  the 
establishment  of  their  own  Presbytery.  His  arguments 
were  so  conclusive  and  his  personality  so  strong  that 
the  last  doubter  was  won  and  they  voted  enthusi- 
astically and  unanimously,  and  thus  the  first  native 
Presbytery  was  organized  in  North  Honan. 

Reported    by    the    Rev.    Donald   MacGillivray,    Shanghai, 
Editor  of  the  China  Mission  Year  Book. 

THIRTY-EIGHTH   SUNDAY 
TEMPERANCE  ITEM 

INDIANS  WHOM  FIRE-WATER  COULD  NOT 
TEMPT 

In  Ontario,  Canada,  near  the  village  of  Muncey,  in 
the  early  days  a  missionary  had  gone  among  the  In- 
dians, and  had  shown  them  the  evils  of  intoxicants. 
Many  of  them,  therefore,  when  they  became  Christians, 
refused  to  drink  any  fire-water. 

One  day  four  of  these  converted  Indians  went  to 
Muncey  to  trade.  The  white  trader  offered  them  whis- 
ky, but  they  refused  it,  saying  they  were  Christians. 
He  thought  perhaps  they  were  unwilling  to  be  seen 
drinking  it  in  public,  as  report  of  it  might  reach  the 
missionary.  As  the  trader  knew  the  path  they  were  to 
take  on  the  way  home,  he  put  a  small  keg  of  whisky 
in  a  certain  spot  near  the  top  of  a  bank,  and  hid  near 
by,  thinking  he  would  enjoy  seeing  the  Indians  drink 
the  whisky  when  they  believed  they  were  alone.  Soon 
they  came  along  the  path,  when,  suddenly,  the  first 
one  stopped  and  said:  "  O,  mah-je-mum-d-doo  sah- 
oomah  ahyah — Lo,  the  evil  spirit  (the  devil)  is  here." 
The  second,  on  coming  up,  said,  "  Aahe,  nebeji-mah- 
mahsah — Yes,  me  smell  him."    The  third  shook  the  keg 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  85 

with  his  foot,  and  said,  "  Kaguit,  nenoondahwahsah — 

Of  a  truth  me  hear  him."    The  fourth  Indian,  coming 

up,  gave  the  keg  a  kick,  and  away  went  the  fire-water, 

tumbling  down  the  hill.     The  four  Indians  went  on 

their  way  like  brave  warriors,   leaving   the   mortified 

white  heathen  to  take  up  his  keg  and  drink  the  devil 

himself." 

Adapted  from   Young,   The  Apostle  of  the  North,  James 
Evans.  

Note. — Not  immediately  following  the  above  Temperance  Item, 
but  at  some  other  convenient  time  in  the  Sunday-school  session, 
preferably  at  the  close,  the  questions  below  may  be  asked. 

Announcing  an  Incident  One  Week  in  Advance 

Leader — How  many  of  the  members  of  our  school 
own  their  own  Bibles? 

I  am  glad  to  see  that  so  many  of  you  do. 

Would  you  be  willing  to  give  your  Bible  away,  if  you 
could  not  possibly  get  another  one? 

No,  I  don't  believe  you  would. 

Well,  next  Sunday,  Mr is  going  to  tell  us 

about  a  man  who  tore  his  Bible  to  pieces,  and  why 
he  did  it. 

Better  be  on  hand  promptly  at  the  opening  of  the 
school  if  you  want  to  hear  the  story. 

THIRTY-NINTH   SUNDAY 
FIELD  ITEM 

A  LAOS  EVANGELIST  TEARS  HIS  BIBLE  IN 
PIECES 

Note. — Interest  in  this  incident  should  be  aroused  a  week  in 
advance  by  asking  the  questions  suggested  under  Note  on  the 
Thirty-eighth  Sunday. 

What  would  you  think  of  a  man  who  would  take  a 
Bible,  pull  off  the  binding,  and  tear  it  in  pieces  book 
by  book? 

Note. — Get  the  pupils  to  give  some  answers. 


86  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

Well,  the  man  I  am  going  to  tell  you  about  was  not 
irreverent  nor  foolish  at  all.  In  fact,  he  was  an 
evangelist  and  he  lived  in  Laos,  the  country  just  north 
of  Si  am.  A  few  years  ago  he  was  converted  in  the 
mission  hospital  at  Lakawn.  On  a  visit  to  his  former 
home,  the  people  noted  what  a  great  change  had  come 
over  him,  and  they  listened  to  him  as  he  told  them 
the  gospel.  As  a  result  of  his  testimony,  six  entire 
families  were  led  to  Christ.  They  were,  however,  with- 
out Bibles  and  would  have  no  one  to  instruct  them  in 
Christian  doctrine  when  the  young  evangelist  should  go 
away. 

Unfortunately,  too,  he  had  exhausted  his  supply  of 
Christian  books  before  he  came  to  their  village.  What 
was  he  to  do,  when  the  converts  so  greatly  needed  in- 
struction and  he  could  not  remain  among  them? 

Taking  his  own  Bible,  he  tore  off  the  binding  and 
divided  the  books  among  the  various  households.  When 
he  returned  to  the  city,  he  was  able  to  get  another  Bible 
for  himself,  and  he  gave  to  the  missionary  a  joyful 
account  of  his  work. 


FOURTH  QUARTER 

FORTIETH    SUNDAY 
FIELD  ITEM 

IDOLATEY  TRANSPLANTED  IN  NORTH 
AMERICA 

We  are  met  to-day  in  a  Christian  Sunday-school  to 
worship  God.  We  think  of  heathenism  as  something 
very  far  away.  But  do  you  know  that  right  here  in 
America  idolatry  is  practised  and  heathen  worship  en- 
gaged in? 

Among  the  thousands  of  immigrants  on  our  shores 
are  many  Orientals.  In  some  of  the  larger  cities  of 
the  United  States  and  Canada  there  are  well-defined 
districts,  known  as  Chinatown.  Suppose  we  visit  a 
Joss-house  or  temple  of  worship  in  one  of  these  dis- 
tricts ? 

At  the  entrance  lighted  sticks  of  punk  make  an  ill- 
smelling  odor,  and  we  enter  a  large  square  room  whicK 
is  rather  dark  and  filled  with  more  odor  of  burning  in- 
cense on  the  gilded  altar.  Back  of  the  altar  in  a  dark 
niche  is  the  figure  of  che  black-bearded  god,  who  is  an 
evil-looking  fellow.  Near  by  is  an  open  fireplace,  ancj 
by  the  side  of  it  a  drum.  When  the  worshiper  enters, 
this  drum  is  beaten  to  attract  the  attention  of  th& 
demons,  and  then  a  prayer  paper  is  lighted  at  the  fire~ 
place  and  is  carried  up  the  flue  by  the  draught  to  th& 
demons  who  await  its  coming.  The  worshiper  then 
falls  upon  his  knees  on  the  prayer  mat  and  knocks  his 
head  upon  the  ground.  He  holds  in  his  hands  two 
small  pieces  of  wood  about  the  size  of  beans.  Having 
offered  a  sacrifice  of  a  pig,  or  a  fowl,  or  rice,  tea,  etc.,  on 
the  altar,  he  lets  the  wooden  pieces  fall,  and  the  way 
they  drop  on  the  mat  indicates  the  answer  to  his 
prayer. 

87 


88  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

Do  you  see  him  kneeling  there,  in  the  vain  hope 
that  the  black-bearded  god  will  hear?  Do  you  realize 
that  this  worship  of  idols  is  taking  place  in  America, 
and  that  on  our  own  soil  heathenism  has  been  trans- 
planted ?  Is  this  "  a  yellow  peril "  or  "  a  golden  op- 
portunity "  ? 

Adapted  from  Woodsworth,  Strangers  Within  Our  Gates. 

FORTY-FIRST  SUNDAY 
SCRIPTURE  INTRODUCTION 
FEEDING  THE  HUNGKY 

Scripture  Lesson  :  Matthew  xiv.  13-21 

Leader — Did  any  of  the  members  of  our  school  eat 
any  bread  for  breakfast  to-day? 

Yes,  I  see  most  of  you  did. 

To  whom  did  you  give  thanks  for  this  food? 

To  God,  of  course. 

Can  you  think  of  any  miracle  Jesus  ever  performed 
that  showed  his  concern  whether  people  had  anything 
to  eat  or  not? 

The  feeding  of  the  5,000. 

Yes,  that  is  right,  and  another  miracle  where  he 
fed  the  four  thousand. 

Let  us  read  but  one  of  these  accounts  to-day,  the 
feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  Matthew  xiv.  13-21. 
(After  reading  the  passage  responsively,  the  leader  should  say:) 

What  is  the  last  word  in  verse  twenty-one? 

"Children." 

There  were  girls  and  boys  there  in  that  crowd  who 
were  fed  by  Jesus,  for  he  wanted  them  to  have  food  as 
well  as  the  other  people. 

He  cared  then,  and  I  think  he  cares  now,  when  girls 
and  boys  are  hungry. 

I  want  to  tell  you  the  story  of  a  hungry  little  child 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  89 

in  famine  times  in  India.  Her  name  was  Wallie.  She 
was  four  years  old.  Her  parents  had  died,  and  there 
was  no  one  to  take  care  of  her.  The  mission  school 
was  already  full  to  overflowing  with  famine  children, 
but  each  day  Wallie  would  come  to  the  school  and  ask 
the  teacher,  "  Any  one  to  stand  for  Wallie  yet  ?  "  She 
meant,  has  any  one  in  England  or  America  sent  on 
fifteen  dollars  to  take  care  of  another  little  famine 
orphan  ? 

Kegretf ully  the  teacher  had  to  reply,  "  No,"  for  sev- 
eral days,  until  finally  she  decided  she  could  not  refuse 
the  starving  little  child  longer.  So  Wallie  entered  the 
school,  and  the  other  girls  shared  with  her  their 
meager  portion  of  rice  for  a  time. 

The  day  Wallie  entered  the  school  a  woman  was 
converted  across  the  seas,  over  in  Canada.  She  wanted 
to  know  if  there  was  something  she  could  do  for  Christ, 
and  inquired  about  orphan  children  in  India. 

She  had  ten  dollars  with  which  she  had  been  planning 
to  buy  a  new  coat.  So  she  asked  if  she  added  five 
dollars  more  to  it,  whether  it  would  not  take  care  of 
such  an  orphan.  "  Yes,  for  a  whole  year,"  she  was  told. 
That  fifteen  dollars  went  to  India,  and  the  day  it 
started  was  the  very  day  the  missionary  took  Wallie 
into  the  school  and  asked  the  Lord  to  send  some  one 
to  stand  for  her. 

Adapted  from  article  entitled,  "Wallie,"  by 
Delia  White  Samuel  in  the  Congregationalist. 

FORTY-SECOND  SUNDAY 
HYMN  INTRODUCTION 

FROM  GREENLAND'S  ICY  MOUNTAINS 

We  are  going  to  sing  to-day  a  missionary  hymn 
which  is  very  familiar.  I  wonder,  however,  if  many 
of  us  know  the  story  of  how  it  was  written. 

It  was  written  on  a  Saturday  afternoon,  May  29, 
1819,  by  Reginald  Heber,  at  the  request  of  his  father- 
in-law,  Dean  Shipley,  who  was  Vicar  of  the  Church 
at  Wrexham,  England.     The  next  morning  a  mission- 


90  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

ary  offering  was  to  be  taken  for  Foreign  Missions,  and 
the  Dean  desired  to  have  a  missionary  hymn  appropri- 
ate for  the  occasion.  He  therefore  asked  his  son-in- 
law,  who  happened  to  be  visiting  him  at  the  time,  to 
write  something  for  them  to  sing  in  the  morning.  Mr. 
Heber  retired  to  another  part  of  the  room  and  com- 
posed in  a  few  moments  this  hymn,  which  has  since 
become  so  famous.  It  was  sung  the  next  morning 
for  the  first  time  in  the  village  church  at  Wrexham. 

Some  years  later  Reginald  Heber  was  appointed  mis- 
sionary bishop  of  Calcutta,  India.  At  the  time  of  his 
appointment  a  copy  of  this  hymn  was  printed  in  The 
Christian  Observer.  An  American  edition  of  this 
magazine  came  to  the  notice  of  Miss  Mary  W.  Howard 
of  Savannah,  Georgia.  She  saw  the  great  possibilities 
in  the  hymn,  and  took  the  words  to  Mr.  Lowell  Mason, 
that  he  might  compose  some  appropriate  music.  At 
that  time  he  was  a  bank  clerk  in  Savannah,  but  later 
had  a  famous  musical  career.  He  composed  the  tune 
entitled  "  Missionary  Hymn,"  which  has  made  Bishop 
Heber's  hymn  so  popular.  It  is  interesting  to  know 
that  an  Englishman  wrote  the  words  and  an  American 
the  music  of  this  great  hymn. 

Let  us  sing  it  heartily. 

Adapted  from  Benson,  Studies  of  Familiar  Hymns. 


FORTY-THIRD   SUNDAY 

PRAYER    INTRODUCTION 

A  PRAYER  FOR  DAVID  LIVINGSTONE 

"  Keep  him  as  the  apple  of  thine  eye,"  "  Hold  him  in 
the  hollow  of  thy  hand,"  were  two  prayers  often  ut- 
tered for  David  Livingstone  by  Mrs.  Robert  Moffat,  his 
mother-in-law,  as  he  engaged  in  his  perilous  journeys  in 
Africa,  and  was  absent  from  his  wife  and  family  for 
months,  and  even  years. 

It  is  a  prayer  which  we,  too,  may  offer  for  our  own 
missionaries  to-day. 


Five  Missionary   Minutes  91 

Note. — Mention  the  names  of  the  missionaries,  home  and  for- 
eign, in  whose  support  the  Sunday-school  or  church  shares. 
If  the  Sunday-school  has  no  such  special  representatives  on  the 
field,  then  the  missionaries  of  the  denomination,  or  those  men- 
tioned by  name  in  the  denominational  Prayer  Cycle  for  the 
day  and  month  may  be  remembered. 

Let  us  ask  that  in  their  various  duties  they  may 
be  preserved  and  kept  safely  in  the  hollow  of  God's 
hand. 

Let  us  all  pray  as  Mr leads  us. 

Adapted    from    Blaikie,     The    Personal    Life    of    David    Lit' 
ingstone. 

FORTY-FOURTH   SUNDAY 

BOOK    ANNOUNCEMENT 

AN  AMERICAN  BRIDE  IN  PORTO  RICO* 

BY    MARION    BLYTHE 

Some  persons  have  the  idea  that  missionaries  are 
queer  people  with  long  faces.  The  truth  is  that  most 
of  them  are  the  happiest,  j  oiliest,  and  finest  people  alive. 
Here  is  a  witty  book  written  by  one  of  that  kind. 

Note. — Hold  the  book  up  in  view  of  the  school  and  mention 
the  title,  An  American  Bride  in  Porto  Rico. 

The  author  says :  "  I  feel  toward  missionary  work  as 
the  Chicago  girl  feels  every  morning  when  she  puts 
her  shoe  on,  '  It's  a  big  thing,  and  I  am  glad  to  be 
in  it.' " 

Open  the  volume  anywhere  you  like,  and  when  you 
have  read  a  page  or  two,  interest  will  compel  you  to 
go  on. 

How  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blythe  were  entertained  for  din- 
ner at  a  Porto  Rican  plantation  is  thus  described. 

Note. — The  following  should  he  read  with  animation. 

"  There  were  fried  eggs,  fried  chicken  that  had  laid 
the  eggs,  fried  mutton,  fried  pork,  fried  beef,  and 
fried  bananas;  egg  salad,  pepper  salad,  rice  and  beans 
and  bread — whole  loaves  of  it  scattered  about  the  table, 

*  Published  by  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  New  York.  Price,  $1.00. 
A  book  for  Senior  and  Adult  readers. 


92  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

but  I  looked  helplessly  about,  for  there  was  no  serving- 
spoon.  Finally,  one  of  the  men  who  had  already  begun 
his  repast  came  to  the  rescue,  and,  with  his  own  fork 
and  knife,  helped  me  most  generously,  and  said,  '  Now 
eat." 

"  Only  once  did  I  feel  that  I  would  surely  lose  my 
grip  on  the  situation,  and  that  was  when  another 
brother,  who  had  almost  finished  eating,  noticed  that  I 
had  no  pork  left  on  my  plate.  I  had  been  watching 
him,  and  I  certainly  thought  his  knife  would  disappear 
with  every  mouthful,  but  he  always  managed  to  keep 
the  handle  in  sight,  and  in  this  way  to  rescue  the  blade. 
He  offered  me  the  pork,  but  I  thanked  him  and  assured 
him  in  very  bad  Spanish  that  I  had  been  most  gener- 
ously served;  but  he  seemed  to  think  that  I  was  bash- 
ful, so  he  arose  in  his  chair  just  across  the  table  from 
me,  licked  his  knife  all  clean,  and  cut  me  another  chunk 
of  pork,  which  he,  leaning  across  the  table,  deposited  on 
my  plate." 

What  Mrs.  Blythe  did  in  this  unpleasant  situation 
she  tells  on  page  135. 

FORTY-FIFTH    SUNDAY 

RECRUITING   FOR  SERVICE   BY  A  SCRIPTURE 
INTRODUCTION 

THEEE  STATEMENTS  OF  JESUS  KEGAKDING 
MISSIONS 

Scripture  Lesson :  John  iv.  35 ;  Matthew  ix.  38 ;  Mark  xri.  15 

Instead  of  opening  our  Bibles  for  our  Scripture  les- 
son to-day,  let  us  recall  from  memory  three  statements 
of  Jesus  regarding  Missions.  Each  verse  indicates 
what  we  are  to  do  with  different  parts  of  our  body. 

One  day  he  and  his  disciples  were  near  Jacob's  Well, 
in  Samaria,  and  he  told  his  disciples  to  do  something 
with  their  eyes.  Can  you  give  me  the  verse — John 
iv.  35? 

"Lift  up  your  eyes,  and  look  on  the  fields, 
that  they  are  white  already  unto  harvest." 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  93 

What  were  they  to  do  with  their  eyes? 
Lift  them  up  and  look  about. 

Maybe  there  are  some  Boy  Scouts  here.  If  so,  when 
you  are  off  in  the  country  trying  to  locate  some  place 
in  the  distance,  you  shade  your  eyes  with  your  hand 
and  look  steadfastly  over  the  situation  until  you  have 
found  what  you  are  looking  for.  You  don't  just  take 
a  hasty  glance,  but  a  thorough  look.  That  is  what 
Jesus  wants  us  to  do  here  in  our  Sunday-school,  to  look 
over  our  (village,  town,  or  city),  and  see  some  fields 
that  need  harvesting;  some  girls  and  boys,  men  and 
women,  who  ought  to  be  won  to  Christ  through  our 
church  and  Sunday-school. 

Now,  if  sheaves  are  to  be  gathered  in  the  harvest- 
field,  what  are  needed? 

Reapers,  of  course— workers,  laborers. 

In  order  to  get  them,  Jesus  told  his  disciples  there 
was  something  they  must  do,  that  you  and  I  do  morn- 
ing and  evening  on  our  knees.  What  is  that?  Mat- 
thew ix.  38. 

"  Pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest, 
that  he  send  forth  laborers  into  his  harvest." 

There  is  a  third  thing  those  disciples  were  to  do,— 
on  their  feet.    Do  you  know  what  it  was? 

Go. 

Yes,  Mark  xvi.  15  tells  us  where  they  were  to  go, 
and  what  they  were  to  do.    Let  us  repeat  it  together : 
"  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  whole  creation." 


94  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

FORTY-SIXTH   SUNDAY 

FIELD    LETTERS 

TYPICAL  ONES  FROM  GREAT  MISSIONARIES 

Note. — Below  are  given  several  letters  written  by  eminent 
missionaries  on  the  field  to  their  children  at  home.  The  letters 
chosen  are  adapted  to  younger  children  and  they  are  typical 
of  many  such  letters  which  may  be  found  in  missionary  biog- 
raphies. Such  letters  reveal  the  concern  the  missionaries  on  the 
field  have  for  their  children  from  whom  they  are  separated. 
When  parting  from  his  children  David  Livingstone  wrote  to  the 
London  Missionary  Society  :  "  Our  children  ought  to  have  both 
the  sympathies  and  prayers  of  those  at  whose  bidding  we  be- 
come strangers  for  life."  Only  one  of  the  letters  should  be  used 
on  a  single  Sunday. 

Leader — We  have  a  missionary  letter  to-day  written 
by  a  very  great  man  to  a  very  little  girl,  David  Liv- 
ingstone to  his  little  daughter  Agnes,  whom  he  some- 
times called  "Nannie,"  five  years  old.  He  had  just 
said  good-by  to  her  at  Cape  Town  about  two  weeks 
before,  when,  with  the  other  children  and  her  mother, 
she  had  sailed  for  England,  while  her  father  turned 
back  to  continue  his  great  work  of  exploration  in  the 
Dark  Continent. 

Cape  Town,  11th  May,  1852. 
My  dear  Agnes  : 

This  is  your  own  little  letter.  Mamma  will  read  it 
to  you,  and  you  will  hear  her  just  as  if  I  were  speaking 
to  you,  for  the  words  which  I  write  are  those  which  she 
will  read.  I  am  still  at  Cape  Town.  You  know  you 
left  me  there  when  you  all  went  into  the  big  ship  and 
sailed  away.  Well,  I  shall  leave  Cape  Town  soon. 
Malatsi  has  gone  for  the  oxen,  and  then  I  shall  go 
away  back  to  Sebituane's  country,  and  see  Seipone  and 
Meriye,  who  gave  you  the  beads  and  fed  you  with  milk 
and  honey.  I  shall  not  see  you  again  for  a  long  time, 
and  I  am  very  sorry.  I  have  no  Nannie  now.  I  have 
given  you  back  to  Jesus,  your  Friend — your  Papa  who 
is  in  heaven.  He  is  above  you,  but  he  is  always  near 
you.  When  we  ask  things  from  him,  that  is  praying 
to  him;  and  if  you  do  or  say  a  naughty  thing  ask  him 
to  pardon  you,  and  bless  you,  and  make  you  one  of  his 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  95 

children.  Love  Jesus  much,  for  he  loves  you,  and  he 
came  and  died  for  you.  Oh,  how  good  Jesus  is!  I 
love  him,  and  I  shall  love  him  as  long  as  I  live.  You 
must  love  him  too,  and  you  must  love  your  brothers 
and  mamma,  and  never  tease  them  or  be  naughty,  for 
Jesus  does  not  like  to  see  naughtiness.  Good-by,  my 
dear  Nannie. 

D.  Livingstone. 

From  Blaikie,  The  Personal  Life  of  David  Livingstone. 

Leader — We  are  to  have  read  to  us  to-day  a  portion 
of  a  letter  from  the  great  African  missionary,  David 
Livingstone,  to  four  of  his  children  in  Scotland.  He 
had  bidden  them  all  good-by  on  April  23,  1852,  when 
they  sailed  for  England  from  Cape  Town,  so  he  had  not 
seen  them  for  nearly  a  year  and  a  half. 

Linyanti,  2d  October,  1853. 
My  dear  Robert,  Agnes,  and  Thomas  and  Oswell  : 

Here  is  another  little  letter  for  you  all.  I  should  like 
to  see  you  much  more  than  write  to  you,  and  speak  with 
my  tongue  rather  than  with  my  pen;  but  we  are  far 
from  each  other — very,  very  far. 

My  dear  children,  take  him  (Jesus)  as  your  Guide, 
your  Helper,  your  Friend,  and  Savior  through  life. 
Whatever  you  are  troubled  about  ask  him  to  keep  you. 
Our  God  is  good.  We  thank  him  that  we  have  such  a 
Savior  and  Friend  as  he  is.  Now  you  are  little,  but 
you  will  not  always  be  so,  hence  you  must  learn  to  read 
and  write  and  work.  All  clever  men  can  both  read 
and  write,  and  Jesus  needs  clever  men  to  do  his  work. 
Would  you  like  to  serve  him?  Well,  you  must  learn 
now,  and  not  get  tired  learning.  After  some  time  you 
will  like  learning  better  than  playing,  but  you  must 
play,  too,  in  order  to  make  your  bodies  strong  and  be 
able  to  serve  Jesus. 

I  hope  you  are  all  kind  to  mamma.  I  saw  a  poor 
woman  in  a  chain  with  many  others,  up  at  the  Barotse. 
She  had  a  little  child,  and  both  she  and  her  child  were 
very  thin.  See  how  kind  Jesus  was  to  you.  No  one 
can  put  you  in  chains  unless  you  become  bad.     If,  how- 


96  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

ever,  you  learn  bad  ways,  beginning  only  by  saying  bad 
words  or  doing  little  bad  things,  Satan  will  have  you 
in  the  chains  of  sin,  and  you  will  be  hurried  on  in  his 
bad  ways  till  you  are  put  into  the  dreadful  place  which 
God  hath  prepared  for  him  and  all  who  are  like  him. 
Pray  to  Jesus  to  deliver  you  from  sin,  give  you  new 
hearts,  and  make  you  his  children.  Kiss  Zouga, 
mamma,  and  each  other  for  me. 

Your  affectionate  father, 

D.  Livingstone. 

From  Blaikie,   The  Personal  Life  of  David  Livingstone. 

Leader — One  of  the  really  great  missionary  explorers 
in  Africa  on  the  Kongo  was  George  Grenfell,  the  Cor- 
nishman.  He  arrived  in  the  Dark  Continent  in  Janu- 
ary, 1875,  not  quite  two  years  after  the  death  of  David 
Livingstone,  Africa's  most  noted  missionary  explorer. 
Grenfell  spent  thirty-one  years  in  Africa. 

We  are  to  hear  to-day  one  of  the  letters  which  he 
wrote  home  to  his  daughter,  Carrie. 

Steamship  Goodwill,  near  Mswata,  Upper  Kongo, 
To  Carrie  :  August  14,  1896. 

We  are  very  glad  to  know  you  are  really  trying  to  be 
a  good  girl.  It  is  not  easy,  dear  Carrie,  is  it?  Some 
of  the  young  folk  on  the  station  at  Bolobo  are  trying  to 
follow  Jesus,  and  they  find  it  very  hard.  Loleka  (I 
send  you  his  picture)  has  just  written  me  a  nice  little 
letter,  saying  that  after  a  real  hard  try  Satan  had  got 
the  better  of  him  once  more,  but  still  he  wanted  to  be  a 
disciple.  I  saw  him  for  a  little  while  before  I  left,  and 
I  hope  encouraged  him  to  go  on  his  way,  looking  to 
Jesus  to  help  him,  and  to  give  his  heart  entirely  to  him; 
for  if  he  kept  even  one  corner  of  his  heart  for  himself  he 
would  be  sure  to  fall  again. 

Jesus  wants  every  bit  of  us,  and  will  be  content  with 
nothing  less,  and  if  we  only  just  put  ourselves  unreserv- 
edly into  his  hands  the  enemy  won't  have  the  chance 
to  overcome  us.  The  Good  Shepherd  is  able  to  keep 
all  his  sheep !  Loleka  is  almost  a  young  man  now.  He 
was  quite  a  little  boy  when  he  came  on  board  the  Peace 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  97 

first  (I  believe  you  were  on  board  at  that  time).  He 
was  afraid  his  old  master  was  at  the  point  of  death,  and 
that  he  would  be  buried  with  him,  so  he  cried  for  me  to 
ransom  him. 

I  think  I  gave  about  three  hundred  yards  of  brass 
wire  to  secure  his  freedom;  but  even  when  the  price 
was  paid  he  would  not  trust  himself  on  shore  again, 
though  we  stayed  at  the  beach  some  three  or  four  days. 
He  is  a  fine  manly  fellow,  and  I  am  hopeful  he  may 
turn  out  a  great  help  to  us,  for  he  has  a  great  deal  of 
influence  among  the  young  people  round  us — is  quite  a 
leader  among  them,  in  fact.  You  must  pray  for  him 
and  for  Dot,  and  for  several  others,  who,  like  them  and 
like  yourself,  are  trying  to  follow  the  Lord  Jesus.  It 
is  not  easy  work  anywhere,  and  it  seems  especially  hard 
here  in  .Kongo. 

Your  mother  and  I  are  both  very  glad  to  know  your 
heart  is  bent  upon  being  a  servant  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
Don't  be  afraid,  dear  Carrie,  to  let  your  light  shine. 
It  may  not  be  very  much  you  can  do,  but  you  can  al- 
ways stand  on  the  right  side,  and  then,  though  your  own 
light  may  not  be  very  bright,  you  will  reflect  some  of 
the  brightness  of  our  Master. 

Yours  affectionately, 

George  Grenfell. 

From  Hawker,  The  Life  of  George  Grenfell. 

Leader- — James  Gilmour  was  a  pioneer  missionary  to 
Mongolia  from  1870  to  1891.  When  his  wife  died  in 
1885,  he  had  to  send  his  two  sons,  James  and  William, 
back  to  Scotland.  They  were  about  seven  and  nine 
years  old.  He  wrote  to  them  frequent  letters,  express- 
ing his  desire  that  they  might  grow  up  to  be  useful 
men  and  become  missionaries.  He  tells  them  that  he 
is  praying  for  them  and  says :  "  Sometimes  when  I  am 
writing  a  letter  to  you,  and  come  to  the  foot  of  the 
page  and  want  to  turn  over  the  leaf,  I  don't  take  blot- 
ting-paper and  blot  it,  but  kneel  down  and  pray  while 
it  is  drying." 

We  shall  hear  one  of  these  letters,  written  from 
Peking,  January  21,  1887. 


98  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

My  dear  Sons  Jimmie  and  Willie  : 

I  am  soon  now  going  again  to  Mongolia,  and  want 
to  write  you  before  I  go.  I  am  well.  I  hope  you  got 
better  all  right. 

The  other  night  when  I  went  out,  Dr.  Pritchard's  cat 
got  shut  in  my  room,  and  tore  a  lot  of  my  paper  win- 
dows to  get  out.  I  had  to  paste  them  up  with  news- 
paper. The  cat  heard  me,  and  came  to  the  outside  of 
the  window,  and  kept  poking  her  paw  through  the  place 
I  was  pasting  up.     Funny  old  cat,  wasn't  she  ? 

The  Chinese  New-year  is  nearly  here  now.  People 
are  so  busy  buying  lots  of  things.  They  are  buying 
paper  gods,  too,  to  paste  up  in  their  houses.  Pray  for 
us,  that  we  may  be  able  to  turn  them  to  the  true  God 
and  to  Jesus. 

All  the  children  in  Peking  were  at  a  Christmas-tree 
a  few  days  ago,  and  got  some  nice  presents. 

You  must  not  be  surprised  if  you  don't  get  any  let- 
ters for  a  while  after  this.  I  may  not  have  a  way  to 
send  them ;  but  be  sure  I'll  write  you  a  long  letter  with 
a  lot  of  things  in  it,  and  send  it  by  the  first  opportunity. 
Do  not  forget  me.  Pray  for  me.  My  dear  sons,  I  pray 
for  you  much  and  often.     May  Jesus  bless  you! 

I  would  like  to  see  you  in  school.  Tell  me  about  it 
and  about  the  teachers.  I  am  glad  you  have  picture- 
books. 

Now,  my  sons,  tell  all  your  things  to  Jesus.     Tell 
your  schoolmates  about  Jesus.     Don't  be  friends  with 
bad  boys.     Be  friends  with  the  boys  who  love  Jesus. 
Your  loving  father, 

James  Gilmour. 

From  James  CHlmour  and  His  Boys. 

Using  the  same  introduction  as  above,  the  leader  may 
say: 

Leader — We  shall  hear  to-day  one  of  these  letters 
written  May  10,  1887. 
My  dear  Sons  : 

In  the  inn  here  there  is  a  hen  with  nine  little 
chickens.  I  think  there  are  nine;  they  are  very  dif- 
ficult to  count,  they  run  about  and  mix  themselves  up 
so.    I  notice  that  the  old  hen  brings  them  home  early 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  99 

in  the  afternoon,  and  goes  with  them  into  a  place  where 
people's  feet  cannot  disturb  them.  They  are  so  pretty, 
too.  One  little  one  looked  out  from  under  his  mother's 
feathers  so  prettily  the  other  evening  till  he  got  sleepy, 
then  he  went  inside.  Her  feathers  seemed  so  soft  and 
warm  and  covering.  The  mother  is  so  fierce  when  any 
other  hen  comes  near  them  to  pick  up  food.  She 
simply  rushes  at  the  other  hen,  and  it  has  to  go  off 
flying  in  terror.  The  old  hen  actually  attacked  two  lit- 
tle pigs  because  they  would  come  about  her  chickens. 
She  is  so  intelligent,  too.  When  I  was  feeding  her 
and  her  chickens  in  our  room  the  two  pigs  came  in.  A 
Chinaman  scared  them  off,  and  the  hen  seemed  to 
know  he  was  not  chasing  her.  She  stood  still,  looking 
so  pleased.  The  chickens  understand  her  calls  per- 
fectly. When  she  finds  food  she  utters  one  kind  of  a 
call,  and  they  all  run  to  eat.  When  there  is  danger  she 
utters  another  call,  and  they  all  run  for  shelter. 

God  is  to  us  like  a  hen  to  her  chickens.  He  wants 
to  provide  for  us,  to  protect  us  in  danger,  to  love  us 
and  shelter  us.  He  keeps  calling  to  us  from  time  to 
time.  There  are  times  when  the  hen  cannot  protect 
her  chickens,  but  God  can  always  protect  us.  Boys, 
the  only  danger  in  the  world  is  in  not  listening  to  God's 
calls.  Every  time  I  saw  the  hen  call,  her  chickens  ran 
towards  her.  If  they  had  not  come  she  would  have 
been  distressed.  God  loves  us.  If  we  do  not  go  to  him 
when  he  calls,  he  must  be  distressed.  Jesus  said  of 
those  who  in  the  old  time  disobeyed  God,  "  How  often 
would  I  have  gathered  you  as  a  hen  gathereth  her 
chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not !  " 
Your  loving  father, 

James  Gilmoub. 

From  James  Qilmour  and  His  Boys. 

FORTY-SEVENTH   SUNDAY 

FIELD    ITEM 

GKIT  WINS  AN  EDUCATION 

Booker  T.  Washington,  the  founder  of  Tuskegee  In- 
stitute in  Alabama,  where  hundreds  of  Negroes  have 


100  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

received  industrial  training,  was  born  a  slave  in  Frank- 
lin County,  Virginia  (now  West  Virginia).  He  be- 
gan life  amid  very  discouraging  surroundings. 

After  the  war  he  moved  with  the  other  children  and 
his  mother  to  Maiden,  a  small  place  in  West  Virginia, 
about  five  miles  from  Charleston,  and  the  center  of  the 
salt  industry.  Here  he  got  hold  of  the  first  book  he  had 
ever  owned,  a  blue-back  speller.  He  was  very  anxious 
to  be  able  to  read,  and  so,  without  a  teacher,  he  learned 
the  alphabet.  Often  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  he 
had  to  be  at  work  at  the  salt  furnace,  and  later  he  was 
employed  in  a  coal-mine,  so  he  got  but  little  oppor- 
tunity for  school.  But  amid  many  discouragements 
he  never  let  go  his  determination  to  secure  an  educa- 
tion.    He  thus  describes  his  struggles. 

Note. — The  following  may  be  read  with  animation  and  dis- 
tinctly. 

"  One  day,  while  at  work  in  the  coal-mine,  I  hap- 
pened to  overhear  two  miners  talking  about  a  great 
school  for  colored  people  somewhere  in  Virginia. 

"In  the  darkness  of  the  mine  I  noiselessly  crept  as 
close  as  I  could  to  the  two  men  who  were  talking.  As 
they  went  on  describing  the  school,  it  seemed  to  me  that 
it  must  be  the  greatest  place  on  earth.  I  resolved  at 
once  to  go  to  that  school,  although  I  had  no  idea  where 
it  was,  or  how  many  miles  away,  or  how  I  was  going 
to  reach  it;  I  remembered  only  that  I  was  on  fire  con- 
stantly with  one  ambition,  and  that  was  to  go  to  Hamp- 
ton.    This  thought  was  with  me  day  and  night. 

"  The  distance  from  Maiden  to  Hampton  is  about 
five  hundred  miles.  By  walking,  begging  rides  both  in 
wagons  and  in  the  cars,  in  some  way,  after  a  number 
of  days,  I  reached  the  city  of  Richmond,  Virginia, 
about  eighty-two  miles  from  Hampton.  When  I 
reached  there,  tired,  hungry,  and  dirty,  it  was  late  in 
the  night.  I  was  completely  out  of  money.  I  must 
have  walked  the  streets  till  after  midnight.  I  was  tired, 
I  was  hungry,  I  was  everything  but  discouraged.  Just 
about  the  time  when  I  reached  extreme  physical  ex- 
haustion, I  came  upon  a  portion  of  a  street  where  the 
board  sidewalk  was  considerably  elevated.    I  waited  for 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  101 

a  few  minutes,  till  I  was  sure  that  no  passers-by  could 
see  me,  and  then  crept  under  the  sidewalk  and  lay  for 
the  night  upon  the  ground,  with  my  satchel  of  cloth- 
ing for  a  pillow." 

The  next  morning  he  secured  work  for  a  few  days, 
and  finally  reached  Hampton  with  just  fifty  cents  left 
with  which  to  begin  his  education. 

He  then  continues: 

"  As  soon  as  possible  after  reaching  the  grounds  of 
the  Hampton  Institute,  I  presented  myself  before  the 
head  teacher  for  assignment  to  a  class.  Having  been 
so  long  without  proper  food,  a  bath,  and  change  of 
clothing,  I  did  not,  of  course,  make  a  very  favorable 
impression  upon  her,  and  I  could  see  at  once  that  there 
were  doubts  in  her  mind  about  the  wisdom  of  admitting 
me  as  a  student.  I  felt  that  I  could  hardly  blame  her 
if  she  got  the  idea  that  I  was  a  worthless  loafer  or 
tramp.  For  some  time  she  did  not  refuse  to  admit  me, 
neither  did  she  decide  in  my  favor,  and  I  continued  to 
linger  about  her,  and  to  impress  her  in  all  the  ways  I 
could  with  my  worthiness.  In  the  meantime  I  saw  her 
admitting  other  students,  and  that  added  greatly  to  my 
discomfort,  for  I  felt,  deep  down  in  my  heart,  that  I 
could  do  as  well  as  they,  if  I  could  only  get  a  chance 
to  show  what  was  in  me. 

"  After  some  hours  had  passed,  the  head  teacher  said 
to  me :  '  The  adjoining  recitation-room  needs  sweep- 
ing.    Take  the  broom  and  sweep  it.' 

"  It  occurred  to  me  at  once  that  here  was  my  chance. 
Never  did  I  receive  an  order  with  more  delight. 

"  I  swept  the  recitation-room  three  times.  Then  I 
got  a  dusting-cloth,  and  I  dusted  it  four  times.  All  the 
woodwork  around  the  walls,  every  bench,  table,  and 
desk,  I  went  over  four  times  with  my  dusting-cloth. 
Eesides,  every  piece  of  furniture  had  been  moved  and 
every  closet  and  corner  in  the  room  had  been  thor- 
oughly cleaned.  I  had  the  feeling  that  in  a  large  meas- 
ure my  future  depended  upon  the  impression  I  made 
upon  the  teacher  in  the  cleaning  of  that  room.  When 
I  was  through,  I  reported  to  the  head  teacher.     She  was 


102  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

a  'Yankee'  woman,  who  knew  just  where  to  look  for 
dirt.  She  went  into  the  room  and  inspected  the  floor 
and  closets;  then  she  took  her  handkerchief  and  rubbed 
it  on  the  woodwork  about  the  walls,  and  over  the  table 
and  benches.  When  she  was  unable  to  find  one  bit  of 
dirt  on  the  floor,  or  a  particle  of  dust  on  any  of  the 
furniture,  she  quietly  remarked,  '  I  guess  you  will  do 
to  enter  this  institution.' 

"  I  was  one  of  the  happiest  souls  on  earth.  The 
sweeping  of  that  room  was  my  college  examination,  and 
never  did  any  youth  pass  an  examination  for  entrance 
into  Harvard  or  Yale  that  gave  him  more  genuine 
satisfaction.  I  have  passed  several  examinations  since 
then,  but  I  have  always  felt  that  this  was  the  best  one 
I  ever  passed." 

From  Washington,  Up  from  Slavery. 

FORTY-EIGHTH  SUNDAY 
TEMPERANCE    ITEM 

A  SOUTH  AFKICAN  CHIEF  ADVOCATES 
TEMPEKANCE 

Khama  was  the  name  of  a  native  chief  of  one  of 
the  tribes  of  the  Bechuanas,  in  South  Africa.  He 
grew  up  as  a  boy  in  his  father's  court,  in  the  midst 
of  the  grossest  savagery.  His  father  was  both  chief 
and  sorcerer.  Theft,  treachery,  and  murder  were 
every-day  occurrences.  Witchcraft  settled  the  affairs, 
both  of  the  state  and  of  the  individual  life.  Before 
Khama  became  king  he  was  converted,  through  per- 
sonal contact  with  his  friend,  John  Mackenzie,  the 
missionary  statesman  of  South  Africa.  He  soon  de- 
veloped such  forbearance,  gentleness,  patience,  and 
dignity,  and  was  so  steadfast  and  statesmanlike  in  his 
dealings,  that  he  was  known  among  all  his  white  friends 
as  the  "Alfred  the  Great"  of  South  Africa.  Khama 
soon  determined  to  put  an  end  to  native  beer  drink- 
ing, with  all  of  its  evils,  and  also  determined  to  pro- 
hibit the  white  man's  drink  from  the  boundaries  of  his 
own    state.    The    white    traders    and    liquor    dealers 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  103 

violated  his  laws,  smuggled  goods,  and  defied  the  most 
strenuous  legislation.  Warning  followed  warning,  still 
the  law  was  violated.  Finally,  tried  beyond  further  en- 
durance, the  king  gave  an  ultimatum  in  a  public 
speech  to  all  the  liquor  dealers  and  traders  in  his 
domain.  It  is  this  speech  that  shows  his  strength  of 
character  and  reveals  a  life  of  the  finest  temper. 

"Take  everything  that  you  have.  Take  all  that  is  yours  and  go. 
I  am  trying  to  lead  my  people  to  act  according  to  that  Word  of  God 
which  we  have  received  from  you  white  people,  and  you  show  them 
an  example  of  wickedness  such  as  we  never  knew.  You,  the  people 
of  the  "Word  of  God!  Go  !  Take  your  cattle  and  leave  my  town, 
and  never  come  back  again  !  " 

On  the  ground  of  old  friendship  one  dealer  pleaded 
for  pity.     Khama  flashed  back: 

"Friendship  !  You  know  better  than  any  one  how  I  hate  this 
drink.  Don't  talk  to  me  about  friendship.  You  are  my  worst  enemy. 
I  had  a  right  to  expect  that  you  would  uphold  my  laws,  and  you 
bring  in  the  stuff  for  others  to  break  them.  You  ask  for  pity,  and 
you  show  me  no  pity.  No  ;  I  have  had  enough  of  such  pity.  It  is 
my  duty  to  have  pity  on  my  people,  over  whom  God  has  placed  me, 
and  I  am  going  to  show  them  pity  to-day.  That  is  my  duty  to  God.  " 
And  the  drink  went. 

In  a  state  paper  to  the  British  administration  he 
wrote : 

"  It  is  better  for  me  that  I  should  lose  my  country  than  that  it 
should  be  flooded  with  drink.  Lobengula*  never  gives  me  a  sleep- 
less night,  but  to  fight  against  drink  is  to  fight  against  demons,  not 
against  men.  I  dread  the  white  man's  drink  more  than  all  the 
assagais*  of  the  Metabele,  which  kill  men's  bodies,  and  it  is  quickly 
over  ;  but  drink  puts  devils  into  men  and  destroys  both  bodies  and 
souls  forever.  Its  wounds  never  heal.  I  pray  your  Honor  never  to 
ask  me  to  open  even  a  little  door  to  drink.  " 

Quoted  from  Missionary  Comments  and  Illustrations,  and 
Dennis,  Christian  Missions  and  Social  Progress. 

*  Lobengula  (Lo-ben-gu'-Ia)  was  the  chief  of  the  Matabele,  north  of 
Khama'e  country. 

*  Pronounce,  ae'-a-gy.    An  African  spear. 


104  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

FORTY-NINTH   SUNDAY 

PRAYER    INTRODUCTION 

TALKING  WITH  GOD 

Kamil  was  the  name  of  a  Moslem  young  man,  who 
one  day  came  to  Dr.  H.  H.  Jessup  of  Beirut,  Syria, 
seeking  instruction  in  the  Christian  faith.  He  was 
hungry  and  thirsty  for  truth. 

"  How  do  you  pray  ? "  he  asked  Dr.  Jessup.  In  re- 
ply, the  latter  knelt  down  and  poured  out  his  soul  to 
God.  Kamil  knelt  beside  him  and  repeated  the  words 
after  him.  "  I  never  heard  this  kind  of  a  prayer  be- 
fore," he  said.  "  It  is  talking  with  God.  We  repeat 
words  five  times  a  day !  "  For  it  is  a  Mohammedan 
custom  to  repeat  prayers  thus  frequently,  and  to  bow 
down  wherever  one  may  happen  to  be,  with  the  face 
turned  toward  Mecca.  "  But  we  have  no  such  words 
as  these,"  continued  Kamil. 

The  young  Moslem  was  right,  prayer  is  not  just  re- 
peating set  words,  it  is,  rather,  talking  with  God. 

Let  us  talk  to  him  now. 

Adapted  from  article  entitled,  "  Kamil,  the  Modern  Paul," 
by  Belle  M.  Brain,  in  The  Missionary  Review  of  the 
World. 

FIFTIETH  SUNDAY 

SCRIPTURE    INTRODUCTION 

AN  ANCIENT  AND  A  MODERN  DROUGHT 
BROKEN 

Scripture  Lesson  :   1  Kings  xviii.  25-46 

Leader — A  modern  striking  parallel,  in  some  par- 
ticulars, to  the  breaking  of  the  drought  in  Israel  in  the 
time  of  Elijah  and  Ahab  was  the  breaking  of  a  drought 
in  China  in  May,  1909,  which  is  told  as  follows  by  Rev. 
C.  E.  Scott: 

Note. — This  material  should  be  read  distinctly  and  with 
feeling. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  105 

This  last  month  as  we  have  been  going  about  among 
the  farmers  in  the  country  we  have  seen  village  priests 
in  the  temples,  standing  before  the  ugly,  mud  gods, 
fiercely  beating  a  tattoo  on  the  temple  drums,  mouthing 
rapid  incantations  of  whose  meaning  they  were  ig- 
norant. All  about  them,  kneeling  on  the  earthen  floor, 
were  the  hard-working,  distressed,  long-suffering  peas- 
ants. At  the  sound  of  a  silver-toned  bell,  struck  by  the 
priests,  each  suppliant  knocked  his  head  on  the  ground. 
Why  this  frenzied  anxiety?  The  crops  are  drying  up, 
starvation  is  ahead ;  and  the  "  Old  Dragon,"  who  spouts 
rain  from  his  maw,  is  being  placated  that  he  may  have 
mercy.  In  the  temple  yards  are  special  booths  and  im- 
promptu shrines.  The  tables  where  punk-incensers 
send  up  their  sweet  ( ?)  incense,  are  loaded  with  food 
to  bribe  the  favor  of  clay  deities.  The  lintels  of  minia- 
ture temples  are  pasted  with  fresh  mottoes  reminding 
the  idols  of  their  clemency,  while  they  themselves  are 
clad  in  clean  paper  dresses  and  aprons.  Stretched 
across  the  streets  of  big  markets  and  little  hamlets, 
flutter  ragged  paper  banners  recalling  deities  to  their 
duty.  Processions  of  youth  and  strong  men  and  halt- 
ing patriarchs — their  heads  wreathed  in  suggestive 
green  leaves,  resembling  in  this  respect  an  ancient 
Dionysiac  festival — wail  their  need.  And  all  the  while, 
the  idols  having  ears  that  hear  not  sat  within,  unre- 
sponsive, repulsive,  leering. 

But  there  was  a  little  party  of  us  in  their  midst  who 
believed  in  the  living  God.  We  had  come  many  miles 
to  this  heathen  section  teeming  with  farmer-villages  to 
pray  with  some  feeble  Christians.  And  together  we 
besought  the  real  "  Cloud  Compeller "  to  open  his 
clouds,  and  make  them  drop  fatness,  that  he  might  be 
magnified  on  the  earth,  and  the  people  saved.  For  five 
days  we  pleaded  the  promise,  Matthew  xxi.  22. 
Will  some  one  please  read  it? 

Then  a  native  elder,  one  of  the  most  godly,  able,  and 
solid  elders  I  have  ever  known  personally,  and  a  suc- 
cessful business  man  in  our  local  church,  said :  "  I  shall 
rent  a  wheelbarrow  to-night,  and  with  my  wife  leave 


106  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

early  to-morrow  morning  to  get  to  Tsingtau,  if  possible, 
before  the  rain  sets  in !  "  Truly  an  Abrahamic  faith ! 
"  And  this  is  the  boldness  which  we  have  toward  him, 
that,  if  we  ask  anything  according  to  his  will,  he  hear- 
eth  us,"  etc.     1  John  v.  14,  15. 

You  can  imagine  the  moral  caliber  of  this  man  from 
the  fact  of  his  leaving  his  big  business  in  Tsingtau, 
taking  a  three  days'  barrow  journey  just  to  pray  with 
us  and  attend  to  the  Lord's  business,  in  that  neglected 
section;  and  also  from  the  fact  that  after  one  of 
our  missionaries  had  taken  him  as  a  beggar  boy  and 
put  him  through  school  and  college,  this  elder  had,  on 
his  own  suggestion,  paid  back  all  that  money  with  big 
interest.  Three  days  after  he  left — the  time  it  would 
take  him  on  the  road — the  rain  came,  copious  and 
abundant.  Verily  James  was  right :  "  The  supplication 
of  a  righteous  man  availeth  much  in  its  working." 

Leader — Let  us  read  now,  for  our  Scripture  lesson 
to-day,  the  account  of  the  breaking  of  the  drought  in 
Israel,  1  Kings  xviii.  25-46. 

FIFTY-FIRST   SUNDAY 
FIELD    ITEM 

A  NAVAJO  KITE  BETWEEN  SUNSET  AND 
DAWN 

It  was  the  night  of  August  17,  1907.  In  the  log  hut 
or  hogan  on  the  prairie  lay  Bah-he,  a  young  Navajo  * 
woman,  ill  with  St.  Vitus's  dance.  Her  father  had 
summoned  the  shaman  or  Indian  medicine-man.  It 
was  the  fifth  successive  night  that  he  had  performed 
his  peculiar  rites  in  the  hope  of  effecting  a  cure.  A 
score  of  Indians  crowded  inside  the  hogan  singing  a 
wailing  song,  but  Bah-he  was  no  better. 

Four  piles  of  dried  cedar  bark  were  lighted  in  the 

center  of  the  hogan.     Bah-he  was  placed  in  the  space 

between  the  fires,  and  smoke  filled  the  room,  becoming 

almost  unendurable.     As  the  fires  burned  down,  the 

•  Pronounce,  Na'-va-ho. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  107 

noise  of  the  singing  continued.  When  each  pile  of 
bark  had  been  consumed  to  ashes,  a  woman  arose,  gath- 
ered them  up  and  placed  them  in  the  sacred  basket, 
which  the  medicine-man  held  in  his  hands.  The  black 
ashes  were  then  mixed  with  water,  becoming  half  paste 
and  half  liquid. 

Two  women  then  approached  the  sick  girl  as  she 
sat  tossing  her  arms  about,  almost  suffocated  and 
tormented  beyond  endurance.  They  covered  her  body 
with  the  black  liquid  and  then,  one  by  one,  all  the 
women  in  the  hogan  smeared  their  feet  and  hands  and 
faces. 

Little  girls,  down  to  the  smallest,  followed  in  line 
after  their  mothers.  The  oldest  woman,  a  great-grand- 
mother wrinkled  and  bent,  painted  more  of  her  body 
than  any  of  the  rest.  With  other  incantations  the 
grim  old  medicine-man  sprinkled  a  pinch  of  his  herbs 
over  the  invalid's  body.  Then,  with  their  fingers,  while 
the  song  kept  on,  several  persons  brushed  red  coals 
from  the  fire  to  half  a  dozen  places  in  the  room,  so 
that  all  might  be  in  reach  to  wave  with  their  hands  a 
stream  of  curling  smoke  over  their  faces.  The  medi- 
cine-man then  made  certain  gestures,  and,  muttering, 
prepared  a  drink  in  the  bowl  of  a  gourd.  This  he  gave 
to  Bah-he  to  drink.     The  ceremony  was  over. 

They  wrapped  the  invalid  in  blankets  and  gave  her 
to  the  care  of  the  women,  but  far  into  the  night  the 
exciting  noise  continued.  Women  brought  in  steam- 
ing coffee  and  bread.  Over  the  feast  there  was  laugh- 
ter, joking,  and  smoking,  both  by  the  men  and  the 
women.  Poor  Bah-he  could  get  no  rest  and  quiet  for 
her  poor  tired  body  and  brain. 

Any  Christian  eyewitness  would  have  prayed  the 
Lord  to  bring  her  his  peace  and,  to  the  minds  of  her 
people,  his  light. 

Adapted  from  Vogt,  "  Bah-he  and  the  Shaman." 


108  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

FIFTY-SECOND   SUNDAY 
HYMN    INTRODUCTION 

HOW  FIRM  A  FOUNDATION 

At  the  time  of  the  outbreak  against  foreigners  in 
China,  in  1900,  Tientsin  was  one  of  the  places  where 
the  lives  of  the  missionaries  were  greatly  endangered 
because  of  the  fury  of  the  fanatical  Boxers.  One  day, 
shells  were  hissing  through  the  air,  coming  danger- 
ously near  to  the  mission  residences.  Finally  one  of 
these  shells  struck  the  house  and  wrecked  a  portion 
of  the  veranda.  Two  of  the  missionaries  seated  near 
the  front  door  were  slightly  injured,  but  fortunately  not 
seriously. 

That  night  as  the  little  company  gathered  to  tear 
bandages  in  the  moonlight,  and  talked  of  the  wonder- 
ful way  in  which  God  had  protected  them,  some  one 
started  the  hymn,  "  How  firm  a  foundation."  The 
second  stanza  of  this  hymn  certainly  was  especially 
appropriate  under  such  circumstances,  and  brought 
great  comfort  to  the  missionaries  in  their  distress. 

"  Fear  not,  I  am  with  thee,  O  be  not  dismayed ; 
For  I  am  thy  God,  and  will  still  give  thee  aid ; 
I'll  strengthen  thee,  help  thee,  and  cause  thee  to  stand, 
Upheld  by  my  righteous,  omnipotent  hand." 

Let  us  sing  this  hymn  to-day  in  the  same  spirit 
in  which  we  might  have  sung  it,  if  we  had  been  with 
that  little  company  of  missionaries  in  Tientsin  in 
1900. 

Reported    by    Miss    Frances    B.    Patterson,    formerly    of 
Tientsin,  China. 


Part  III 

MATERIAL  FOR  SPECIAL  DAYS 

SUNDAY  NEAREST    NEW  YEAR 

THE  KOREAN  WAY  OF  TURNING  OVER  A 
NEW  LEAF  ON  NEW  YEAR 

The  idea  of  beginning  the  New-year  aright  is  some- 
times expressed  in  America  by  saying  one  will  turn 
over  a  new  leaf.  A  man  in  Korea  with  a  very  quar- 
relsome disposition  determined  to  get  the  better  of  it  at 
New-year. 

When  the  New-year  came,  late  at  night  he  was  in  the 
courtyard  flying  a  kite  on  which  he  had  first  written, 
"  Evil  disposition,  impatience,  bad  words,  street 
fights,"  etc.  It  was  so  dark  that  no  kite  could  be 
seen;  but  when  he  had  run  the  string  out  to  its  full 
length,  he  cut  it  and  let  it  go,  imagining  that  so  he 
had  rid  himself  of  his  enemies  and  could  begin  the 
year  with  new  courage. 

Do  you  think  this  is  a  successful  way  to  get  rid  of 
faults?  Can  some  one  repeat  the  ninth  verse  of  the 
first  chapter  of  the  the  First  Epistle  of  John,  which 
tells  the  only  sure  way? 

"If  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and 
righteous  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse 
us  from  all  unrighteousness." 

Adapted  from  Gale,  Korean  Sketches. 

EASTER  SUNDAY 

SUWARTHA'S  FIRST  EASTER  DAY 

Atama,*  one  of  India's  little  children,  was  dead.    Su- 
wartha,t  her  mother,  was  heartbroken,  for  she  loved 
*  Pronounce,  Ah'-ta-ma.  t  Pronounce,  Su-warth'-a. 

109 


110  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

her  little  one  as  dearly  as  any  mother  in  England  or 
America  ever  loved  her  child.  She  had  never  heard  the 
Easter  message;  she  knew  nothing  of  the  risen  Christ. 
She  was  a  Hindu,  and  in  her  grief,  she  went  to  the 
temple  for  some  word  of  comfort.  The  priest,  seeing 
her,  spoke  roughly  to  her. 

"  Cesspool  of  all  evil,"  he  began,  "  where  is  the  child 
that  you  formerly  brought  with  you  % " 

"  Most  noble  ruler,"  said  Suwartha,  "  the  child,  my 
little  Atama,  is  dead.  Yesterday  I  carried  her  in  my 
arms  to  the  burning  ghat  and " 

"  Aha !  "  laughed  the  priest,  "  that  is  a  matter  for 
rejoicing.  There  will  be  one  less  woman  to  drown  men 
in  the  whirlpool  of  suspicion,  and  to  poison  them  with 
the  poison  that  looks  like  nectar." 

"It  must  be  as  you  say,"  murmured  Suwartha 
meekly,  "  but  my  arms  are  empty,  and  my  heart  is 
full  of  sorrow  because  she  is  gone.  And  I  wonder, 
and  wonder  where  her  gentle  spirit " 

"  Her  spirit,  her  soul  ? "  interrupted  the  priest  con- 
temptuously. "  She  may  not  yet  have  found  her  soul. 
'Tis  more  than  likely  so — if  women  ever  have  a  soul." 

"  Oh,  say  not  so,"  wailed  Suwartha.  "  Tell  me,  is 
she  happy  ?     Is  her  soul  at  rest  ?  " 

The  priest  appeared  to  reflect  seriously  for  a  mo- 
ment. 

"Is  a  toad  happy?"  he  asked. 

"  A  toad  ?  "  gasped  Suwartha. 

"  Yes,  bane  of  humanity,  a  toad,  or  a  lizard,  a  dog 
or  a  pig,  a  serpent  or  a  fish?  For  already  the  soul  of 
your  child  may  have  passed  into  one  of  these.  You 
will  do  well  to  be  very  careful  in  avoiding  every  form 
of  creeping  things,  lest  you  crush  your  child,  you 
know." 

"  And  when,"  gasped  Suwartha,  "  when,  when  will 
her  soul  be  freed  from  this  bondage  ? " 

"  Oh,"  yawned  the  priest,  "  perhaps  in  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand  years,  after  she  has  lived  as  every 
form  of  loathsome  animal,  perhaps  she  may  become  a 
despicable  woman  again." 

Slowly,   Suwartha  arose  and  left  the  temple.     She 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  111 

went  to  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  where  the  day  before 
she  had  burned  the  body  of  her  child.  There  lay  a 
heap  of  ashes.  Suddenly  it  seemed  that  they  stirred, 
and  slowly  there  glided  from  them  a  hideous  cobra. 

"Palmur!  Tat!  Palmur! "  shrieked  Suwartha. 
"  Atama,  my  darling,  my  child,"  and  fell  to  the  ground, 
convulsively  grasping  handfuls  of  dust.  For  she  be- 
lieved that  the  soul  of  Atama  had  passed  into  the 
serpent.  And  this  was  the  best  that  Hinduism  could 
do  for  a  mother  bereaved  of  her  child. 

After  a  time,  Suwartha  started  home.  On  the  way, 
she  met  a  band  of  little  children,  and  they  were  singing : 

"  There's  a  home  for  little  children 

Above  the  bright  blue  sky 
Where  Jesus  reigns  in  glory 

A  home  of  peace  and  joy. 
No  home  on  earth  is  like  it, 

Nor  can  with  it  compare; 
For  every  one  is  happy, 

Nor  could  be  happier  there." 

What  could  this  mean?  Was  there  hope,  after  all? 
Was  little  Atama  not  in  the  body  of  the  snake,  but 
happy  somewhere?  She  remembered  that  one  of  her 
neighbors,  Chettu,*  was  no  longer  a  Hindu,  but  a  be- 
liever in  the  Jesus  doctrine.     Going  to  her,  she  said: 

"  Oh,  Chettu,  Chettu,  I  have  just  come  from  the 
burning  ghats,  where  I  carried  my  little  Atama  yes- 
terday, and  out  of  the  heap  of  ashes  where  her  body 
was  burned  I  saw  a  dreadful  cobra  writhe ;  and  if  what 
the  priest  of  Ganeshat  told  me  was  true,  the  spirit  of 
my  darling  Atama  had  entered  into  that  hideous — " 

"  Oh,  no,  no !  "  interrupted  Chettu  eagerly.  "  It  is 
not  true;  it  is  a  lie.  The  soul  of  Atama  is  in  the 
bosom  of  Jesus,  the  risen  Savior,  who  loved  little  chil- 
dren, and  took  them  in  his  arms  and  blessed  them." 

That  night,  Suwartha  could  scarcely  sleep.  The 
strange,  new  message  of  life  after  death  seemed  too 
good  to  be  true,  but  what  comfort  and  peace  it  brought 
to  the  soul!  The  next  morning  was  Easter  Day,  and 
the  first  faint  glimmers  of  sunlight  stole  into  the  room. 

•  Pronounce,  Chet'-tu.  f  Pronounce,  Ga-nesh'-a. 


112  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

It  rested  upon  the  face  of  Suwartha,  and  revealed  there 
the  light  that  shines  wherever  a  soul  lays  hold  of 
eternal  life  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  Life  and 
immortality  had  been  brought  to  light  through  the 
message  of  the  gospel. 

Adapted   from   the   prize   story,    "  At   Easter  Dawn,"    by 
John  M.  Hull,  in  The  Helping  Hand. 

CHILDREN'S    DAY 
ERECTING  THE  FAMILY  ALTAR 

When  Marcus  Whitman  and  his  wife  went  to  the 
Oregon  country,  and  established  their  new  home  on  the 
Walla  Walla  River,  they  began  on  the  very  first  day 
to  observe  family  worship.  Mrs.  Whitman's  beautiful 
voice  attracted  the  Indians,  who  would  steal  up  to  the 
cabin  to  catch  every  sound.  They  could  not  under- 
stand the  words,  but  they  could  see  the  face  of  the 
"  white  squaw."  and  they  loved  her  at  once. 

The  prayer  on  the  first  day  of  arrival  was  one  of 
gratitude  and  thanksgiving  to  God  for  bringing  them 
through  many  dangers  of  the  long  three-thousand-mile 
journey,  across  the  continent,  safe  at  last  to  their  home 
among  the  Indians. 

I  hope  there  is  a  family  altar  in  every  home  in  our 
Sunday-school.  I  will  not  ask  how  many  there  are, 
but  I  want  every  teacher  and  every  girl  and  boy  of  our 
school  to  do  some  missionary  work  this  week. 

I  want  you  to  take  home  some  literature  explaining 
"  The  Family  Altar  League,"  and  show  it  to  your 
parents.  Ask  them  to  pray  about  it,  and  bring  back 
next  Sunday  the  pledge  signed.  If  there  is  already 
a  family  altar  in  your  home,  please  bring  back  the 
pledge  signed  anyhow. 

Note. — Send  to  the  Family  Altar  League,  602  Lakeside  Build- 
ing, Chicago,  111.,  for  literature  and  supplies. 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  113 

DOMINION  DAY  (JULY  FIRST)  OR  INDEPENDENCE 
DAY  (JULY  FOURTH) 

THE  BOY  WHO  HONOEED  THE  FLAG 
Leader — Let  us  all  salute  our  beautiful  flag  to-day. 
I  pledge  allegiance  to  my  flag  and  the  country 
for  which  it  stands,  one  nation,  indivisible,  with 
liberty  and  justice  for  all. 

Note. — If  the  school  has  no  flag  displayed  upon  the  wall,  one 
can  be  borrowed  for  the  occasion,  or  this  introduction  to  the 
following  incident  can  be  changed  so  as  to  eliminate  the  flag 
salute. 

We  love  our  flag,  and  so  did  little  Giuseppe  Eossi,  a 
bright  Italian  boy  who  lived  in  a  tenement  in  New 
York  and  went  to  the  kindergarten.  He  was  always 
proud  to  be  the  flag  bearer  in  the  children's  games. 

One  day  Giuseppe  was  arrested  and  brought  before 
the  magistrate.  An  angry  German  woman  who 
cleaned  the  halls  in  the  tenement  where  Giuseppe  lived 
was  his  accuser.  She  told  how  the  small  Italian  had 
beat  her  with  his  fists,  and,  running  at  her  with  head 
down  like  a  goat,  had  butted  into  her.  This  was  more 
than  Germany  would  stand  from  Italy. 

When  asked  to  explain  his  conduct,  Giuseppe  said: 
"  She  clean  wid  da  flag-a.  She  wipe  de  mud-a  wid  it — 
da  flag-a  what  ever'  day  in  school-a  we  make-a  so," 
and  Giuseppe  raised  his  hand  in  salute  reverently. 

Here,  indeed,  was  budding  patriotism  which  no 
magistrate  could  condemn.  It  was  a  lesson,  too,  to 
the  woman,  not  to  use  even  a  tattered  and  worn-out 
flag  as  a  duster  and  cleaning-rag. 

Adapted  from  Crowell,  Groxcing  Up  in  America. 

WORLD'S    TEMPERANCE    SUNDAY    (SECOND 
SUNDAY   IN  NOVEMBER) 

BISHOP  WHIPPLE  AND  THE  INDIAN'S  FIRE- 
WATER 

Bishop  Whipple,  who  spent  many  years  among  the 
Indians  in  Minnesota,   on   one   occasion   attended   an 


114  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

Indian  council.  He  spoke  very  plainly  against  the 
eyils  of  the  use  of  intoxicants.  The  head  chief,  who 
sometimes  indulged  in  fire-water,  being  a  cunning 
orator,  rose  and  said: 

"  You  said  to-day  that  the  Great  Spirit  made  the 
world  and  all  the  things  in  the  world.  If  he  did,  he 
made  the  fire-water.  Surely  he  will  not  be  angry 
with  his  red  children  for  drinking  a  little  of  what  he 
has  made." 

Bishop  Whipple  answered: 

"  My  red  brother  is  a  wise  chief,  but  wise  men  some- 
times say  foolish  things.  The  Great  Spirit  did  not 
make  the  fire-water.  If  my  brother  will  show  me  a 
brook  of  fire-water  I  will  drink  of  it  with  him.  The 
Great  Spirit  made  the  corn  and  the  wheat,  and  put 
into  them  that  which  makes  a  man  strong.  The  devil 
showed  the  white  man  how  to  change  this  good  food 
of  God  into  what  will  make  a  man  crazy." 

Adapted  from  Speer,  Servants  of  the  King. 

PEACE   SUNDAY  (LAST  SUNDAY  IN  NOVEMBER) 

SWORDS   BECOME  PLOWSHARES   AND 
SPEARS  PRUNING-HOOKS 

Isaiah  and  Micah  were  contemporary  prophets.  Both 
of  them  speak  of  the  glories  of  peace  and  declare: 
"  They  shall  beat  their  swords  into  plowshares,  and 
their  spears  into  pruning-hooks;  nation  shall  not  lift 
up  sword  against  nation,  neither  shall  they  learn  war 
any  more."     See  Isaiah  ii.  4,  and  Micah  iv.  3. 

In  the  life  of  Stewart  of  Lovedale,  the  story  is 
told  of  the  wonderful  transformation  wrought  by  God's 
Spirit  among  the  wild  Ngoni  warriors  of  Africa.  They 
did  not  consider  themselves  men  until  they  had  shed 
blood. 

"  In  1875  a  group  of  artisans  who  had  volunteered 
for  the  mission  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Nyasa  were  as- 
sembled at  Birmingham,  England,  for  a  final  meeting. 
One  of  them  said :  '  I  am  to  be  the  blacksmith  of  Liv- 
ing9tonia.    I  am  to  teach  them  ordinary  blacksmith 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  115 

work ;  but,  also,  by  God's  grace,  to  teach  them  the  black- 
smith work  they  need  most,  and  that  is  to  beat  their 
swords  into  plowshares  and  their  spears  into  pruning- 
hooks'. " 

"  In  1897  missionaries  returning  from  that  mission 
told  this  story :  '  My  friend,  Robert  Ross,  the  black- 
smith, before  he  went  out,  expressed  the  hope  (the 
hope  before  mentioned),  and  on  his  way  home  he  saw  a 
field  of  wheat  at  Mwengo,  which  belonged  to  the  mis- 
sion. The  Ngoni  were  reaping  it  with  their  spears. 
Not  one  of  their  spears  is  now  used  for  war.  They 
have  beat  the  iron  of  some  of  them  into  hoes,  which 
are  the  native  plowshares.  With  other  spears  they 
cut  their  grain  and  prune  their  trees.  These  are  their 
pruning-hooks'.  " 

Micah's  and  Isaiah's  prophecies,  spoken  hundreds  of 
years  ago,  have  already  in  part  been  literally  fulfilled. 
Adapted  from  Halsey,  "  Foreign  Missions  after  a  Century." 

SUNDAY  NEAREST  THANKSGIVING 
THANKSGIVING   DAY   IN   CENTRAL   AFRICA 

Leader — On  our  national  Thanksgiving  Day  we 
thank  God  for  his  goodness.  July  23,  1855,  was  a 
Thanksgiving  Day  in  the  heart  of  Africa,  for  it 
marked  the  return  of  David  Livingstone  and  his 
twenty-seven  faithful  native  followers  to  their  own 
country,  after  months  of  perilous  journeying  to  the 
West  coast  and  return. 

Note. — The  item  may  now  be  read  clearly  and  with  feeling. 

Livingstone  in  his  journal  says: 

"  The  men  decked  themselves  in  their  best,  for  all 
had  managed  to  preserve  their  suits  of  European  cloth- 
ing, which,  with  their  white  and  red  caps,  gave  them  a 
rather  dashing  appearance.  They  tried  to  walk  like  sol- 
diers, and  called  themselves  '  my  braves.'  Having  been 
again  saluted  with  salvos  from  the  women,  we  met  the 
whole  population,  and  having  given  an  address  on  divine 
things,  I  told  them  we  had  come  that  day  to  thank  God 


116  Five  Missionary  Minutes 

before  them  all  for  his  mercy  in  preserving  us  from 
dangers,  from  strange  tribes,  and  sicknesses.  We  had 
another  service  in  the  afternoon.  They  gave  us  two 
fine  oxen  to  slaughter,  and  the  women  have  supplied 
us  abundantly  with  milk  and  meal.  This  is  all  gratui- 
tous, and  I  feel  ashamed  that  I  can  make  no  return." 

Adapted  from  Blaikie,   The  Personal  Life  of  David  Liv- 
ingstone. 

SUNDAY  NEAREST  CHRISTMAS 

CHKISTMAS   AN  UNKNOWN   DAY   TO   A 
MISSOURI  SETTLER 

There  are  people  even  in  the  United  States  who  are 
ignorant  of  the  meaning  of  Christmas.  A  Sunday- 
school  missionary  in  the  mountains  of  southeastern 
Missouri  was  traveling  in  one  of  the  isolated  parts  of 
that  region  and  relates  this  experience : 

"  One  night  after  supper  with  a  family  of  six,  the 
1  Old  Woman '  (as  she  was  called)  said  that  she  wanted 
me  to  come  into  the  other  room  and  sit  around  the 
fireplace  with  them,  that  '  Dad '  wanted  to  ask  me  some 
questions.  We  all  filed  into  the  next  room,  immedi- 
ately in  front  of  the  fire,  with  the  family  forming  the 
rest  of  the  semicircle,  Dad,  on  the  right,  leaning  up 
against  the  mantel,  and  the  oldest  boy  on  his  opposite 
side  (this  young  man  of  twenty  could  neither  read 
nor  write,  and  had  never  seen  a  railroad).  Dad  opened 
up :  '  I  wish  you  would  explain  this  Christmas  business 
to  us.  A  year  ago  in  December,  our  neighbors  over 
here,  got  a  box  from  the  East,  and  they  called  it  a 
Christmas  box,  and  they  invited  us  over  and  gave  us 
candy  and  lots  of  good  things  to  eat,  and  some  cards 
that  had  "  Christmas  Greetings "  on  them.  I  guess 
some  of  them  are  around  here  yet,  ain't  they,  Old 
Woman  ? 

" '  Well,  we  asked  them  to  tell  us  what  they  meant 
by  Christmas,  but  they  couldn't  tell  us  very  well,  and 
the  Old  Woman  'low'd  you'd  know;  so  go  to  it  and  ex- 
plain the  whole  business.  I  don't  care  nuthin  about 
it,  but  these  kids  just  run  me  crazy  about  it." 


Five  Missionary  Minutes  117 

And  this  is  right  here  in  the  midst  of  Christian 
civilization  and  within  twenty-five  miles  of  the  rail- 
road, in  the  State  of  Missouri. 

From  a  report  by  the  Rev.  W.  E.  Stevenson,  formerly  a 
Sunday-school  missionary  in  western  Missouri,  under 
the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication  and  Sabbath 
School  Work. 

SUNDAY  NEAREST  CHRISTMAS 
SANTA  CLAUS   IN  KOKEA 

Santa  Glaus  in  America  and  Santa  Claus  in  Korea 
are  two  very  different  beings.  In  Korea  he  is  called 
Angwangi*  and  he  is  supposed  to  be  an  old  man 
who  lives  in  the  upper  air.  Like  the  Santa  Claus  in 
America,  he  brings  gifts,  but  of  a  very  different  kind, 
and  he  presents  them  at  New-year  instead  of  Christ- 
mas. 

There  is  not  a  girl  or  boy,  man  or  woman,  in  Korea 
who  is  glad  when  Angwangi  comes  around.  Every- 
body fears  him,  for  he  is  a  villainous  old  fiend,  whose 
gifts  are  typhus  fever,  cholera,  leprosy,  and  other 
diseases. 

Instead  of  wearing  his  shoes  inside  the  house,  the 
Korean  leaves  them  outside  the  door.  Angwangi  comes 
down  on  New-year's  eve  and  tries  them  on,  leaving 
some  memento  of  his  visit.  Now  nobody  wants  any 
of  Angwangi's  gifts,  so  one  plan  after  another  was 
tried  to  prevent  his  leaving  any. 

This  is  the  one  that  the  Koreans  believe  is  most 
successful.  A  common  flour  sieve  is  left  beside  the 
shoe  mat  on  New-year's  eve.  As  Angwangi  has  a 
mania  for  counting  the  meshes  in  these  sieves,  his  at- 
tention is  at  once  drawn  to  them  the  moment  he  sees 
one  outside  the  house.  He  begins  counting,  and  soon 
forgets  everything  else.  Before  he  is  aware,  daylight 
has  come,  and  with  it  Angwangi's  opportunity  to  scat- 
ter disease  and  pestilence  for  the  New-year  is  gone. 

Note. — It  will  be  well  to  have  a  flour  sieve  to  show  to  the 
school  as  the  above  story  is  told. 

Adapted  from  Gale,  Korean  Sketches. 
*  Pronounce,  Ang-wang'-i. 


INDEX 

MATERIAL  FOR   FIFTY -TWO    SUNDAYS   AND 

MATERIAL  FOR  SPECIAL  DAYS 

CLASSIFIED  BY  TOPICS 

I.    Book  Announcements  paok 
Adventures  with  Four-Footed  Folk  (Home  and 

Foreign  Mission  Volume)     ....  82 
An  American  Bride  in  Porto  Rico  (Home  Mis- 
sion Volume) 91 

Down  to  tlie  Sea  (Home  Mission  Volume)         .  61 

The  Days  of  June  (Foreign  Mission  Volume) .  38 

II.     Field  Items 

A  Dramatic  Close  to  a  Prayer  Meeting  (Home 

Missions) 27 

A  Laos  Evangelist  Tears  His  Bible  in  Pieces  .      85 
A  Navajo  Rite   Between  Sunset   and  Dawn 

(Home  Missions) 107 

An  Appeal  that  Brought  the  Church  in  Honan 

to  Independence  (China)  ....  83 
An  Immigrant's  Life  Story  (Home  Missions)  .  67 
An  Indian  Defends  the  Bible  (Home  Missions)  33 
Bible  Study  under  Difficulties  (Brazil)  .  .  73 
Grit  Wins  an  Education  (Negro,  Home  Mis- 
sions)      100 

How  an  African  Witch  Doctor  was  Put  out 

of  Business 34 

Idolatry    Transplanted    in    North    America 

(Home  Missions) 87 

The  Cooking  Stove  in   Davy's  Head  (Home 

Missions) 43 

The  Romantic  Story  of  the  First  Foreign  Mis- 
sionaries of  the  Korean  Church    ...      59 
Treating  Dyspepsia  in  Korea  ....      30 
119 


120  Index 

III.  Field  Letters  page 

How  to  present  extracts  from  such  letters 
illustrated  by  correspondence  from 

Alaska 40 

Africa 94-97 

Canada 76 

China 62 

Mongolia 98,99 

IV.  Giving 

How  the  native  Christians  give.     Illustrative 
incidents  from 

Alaska 45 

Africa 45 

China 46,47 

India 48 

Korea    .        . 50,51 

Laos 48 

Southern  Mountains  in  the  United  States    .  49 
"Kingdom    Day  ' ' — Annual  Subscription 

Pledge  Day 54 

Report  on  Missionary  Investments.     The  Boy 

Who  Wanted  to  Know  about  the  Returns    .  79 

Why  I  should  Give  to  Missions — Seven  Word 

Pictures 52 


V.     Hymn  Introductions 

All  Hail  the  Power  of  Jesus'  Name  (Africa) 
From  Greenland's  Icy  Mountains  (General) 
How  Firm  a  Foundation  (China)     . 
Onward,  Christian  Soldiers  (General) 
Speed  Away,  Speed  Away,  on  Your  Mission 

of  Light  (General)         .... 
Throw  Out  the  Life  Line  (Home  Missions) 

VI.    Prayer  Introductions 

A  Prayer  for  David  Livingstone  (Africa) 
"  Kedo-hapsata"— Let  Us  Pray  (Korea)  . 
Repeating  and    Praying  the    Lord's  Prayer 

(Porto  Rico) 

Talking  with  God  (Syria) 

The  Lord's  Prayer  Amended  (General)  . 


30 

89 

108 

65 

36 
75 


90 
81 

28 

104 

35 


Index  121 

VII.     Recruiting  J "or  Service  PAQK 

A  Boy  Follows  His  Dollar  to  the  Field  (India)  57 

A  Gift  of  Days  (Korea) 56 

Hymn    Introduction— Speed    Away,     Speed 

Away  on  Your  Mission  of  Light  (General)  .  36 
Scripture  Introduction— Three  Statements  of 

Jesus  Regarding  Missions  (General)     .        .  92 

Utilizing  Waste  Material  (General) ...  70 

VIII.     Scripture  Introductions 

Genesis  i.  1;  John  iii.  16— The  Verses  that  Led 
to  Neesima's  Conversion  (Japan)  .        .      25 

Numbers  xxxii.  23;  Proverbs  xxviii.  18 — The 
Influence  of  a  Stolen  Bible  (India)        .        .      73 

1  Kings  xviii.  25-46— An  Ancient  and  a  Mod- 
ern Drought  Broken  (China)        .        .        .104 

Psalm  xxxiv.  4-7;  Psalm  cxxiv— Psalms  of  the 
Besieged  at  Peking  (China)  ...      80 

Psalm  xci— Facing  Death  Without  Flinching 
(China) 29 

Isaiah  liii.  3-7;  John  iii.  14-18— Hearing  the 
Crucifixion  Story  for  the  First  Time  (Home 
Missions) 69 

Matt.  xiv.  13-21— Feeding  the  Hungry  (India)      88 

Matt,  xxviii.  19,  20— A  Command  and  a 
Promise  (Africa) 31 

John  iv.  35;  Matt.  ix.  38;  Mark'xvi.  15— Three 
Statements  of  Jesus  Regarding  Missions 
(General) 92 

XX.    Special  Bays  and  Occasions  in  the  Sunday  School 

Children's  Day.  Erecting  the  Family  Altar 
(General) 112 

Christmas.     Christmas  an  Unknown  Day  to 

a  Missouri  Settler 116 

Santa  Claus  in  Korea 117 

Easter  Sunday.  Suwartha's  First  Easter 
Day  (India) 109 

Dominion  Day  (July  First,  Canada)  or  Inde- 
pendence  Day  (July  Fourth,  United 
States).   The  Boy  Who  Honored  the  Flag.    113 


122  Index 

PAGE 

New  Year.  The  Korean  Way  of  Turning 
Over  a  New  Leaf  on  New  Year   .        .        .     109 

Thanksgiving  Daf.  A  Thanksgiving  Day 
in  Central  Africa 115 

World's  Peace  Sunday  (Last  Sunday  in 
November).  Swords  Become  Plowshares 
and  Spears  Pruning  Hooks  (Africa)     .        .     H4 

World's  Temperance  Sunday  (Second  Sun- 
day in  November).  Bishop  Whipple  and 
the  Indian's  Fire- Water  (Home  Missions)    .    113 

X.     Temperance  Items 

A  South  African  Chief  Advocates  Temperance    102 
Bishop  Whipple  and  the  Indian's  Fire- Water 

(Home  Missions) 113 

Indians  Whom  Fire- Water  Could  Not  Tempt 

(Home  Missions) 84 

Where  Liquor  is  Currency  and  Children  are 

Pawned  for  Drink  (Africa)  ....      06 


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